Semiconductor device

ABSTRACT

A semiconductor device including a capacitor whose charge capacity is increased while improving the aperture ratio is provided. Further, a semiconductor device which consumes less power is provided. A transistor which includes a light-transmitting semiconductor film, a capacitor in which a dielectric film is provided between a pair of electrodes, an insulating film which is provided over the light-transmitting semiconductor film, and a first light-transmitting conductive film which is provided over the insulating film are included. The capacitor includes the first light-transmitting conductive film which serves as one electrode, the insulating film which functions as a dielectric, and a second light-transmitting conductive film which faces the first light-transmitting conductive film with the insulating film positioned therebetween and functions as the other electrode. The second light-transmitting conductive film is formed over the same surface as the light-transmitting semiconductor film of the transistor and is a metal oxide film containing a dopant.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention disclosed in this specification and the like relates tosemiconductor devices.

BACKGROUND ART

In recent years, flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays(LCDs) are becoming widespread. In each of pixels provided in the rowdirection and the column direction in a display device such as a flatpanel display, a transistor serving as a switching element, a liquidcrystal element electrically connected to the transistor, and acapacitor connected to the liquid crystal element in parallel areprovided.

As a semiconductor material of a semiconductor film of the transistor, asilicon semiconductor such as amorphous silicon or polysilicon(polycrystalline silicon) is generally used.

Metal oxides having semiconductor characteristics (hereinafter referredto as oxide semiconductors) can be used for semiconductor films intransistors. For example, techniques for forming transistors using zincoxide or an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide semiconductor are disclosed (see PatentDocuments 1 and 2).

A display device which includes a capacitor in which an oxidesemiconductor film provided over the same surface as an oxidesemiconductor film of a transistor and a pixel electrode connected tothe transistor are provided to be separated from each other with a giveninterval in order to increase the aperture ratio is disclosed (seePatent Document 3).

REFERENCE Patent Document

-   [Patent Document 1] Japanese Published Patent Application No.    2007-123861-   [Patent Document 2] Japanese Published Patent Application No.    2007-096055-   [Patent Document 3] U.S. Pat. No. 8,102,476.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

In a capacitor, a dielectric film is provided between a pair ofelectrodes at least one of which is formed, in many cases, using alight-blocking film partly serving as a gate electrode, a sourceelectrode, a drain electrode, or the like of a transistor.

As the capacitance value of a capacitor is increased, a period in whichthe alignment of liquid crystal molecules of a liquid crystal elementcan be kept constant in the state where an electric field is applied canbe made longer. When the period can be made longer in a display devicewhich displays a still image, the number of times of rewriting imagedata can be reduced, leading to a reduction in power consumption.

However, in the case where one electrode of the capacitor is formedusing a semiconductor film, the value of capacitance charged in thecapacitor can be lower than a predetermined value depending on apotential which is applied to the semiconductor film, so that a periodduring which alignment of liquid crystal molecules of a liquid crystalelement is kept continuously is shortened. As a result, the number oftimes of rewriting image data is increased, so that power consumption isincreased.

One of methods for increasing the charge capacity of a capacitor is toincrease the area occupied by the capacitor, specifically, to increasethe area of a portion where two electrodes of the capacitor overlap witheach other. However, when the area of a light-blocking conductive filmis increased to increase the area of a portion where the two electrodeoverlap with each other, the aperture ratio of a pixel is lowered andthus display quality of an image is degraded.

In view of the above problems, an object of one embodiment of thepresent invention is to provide a semiconductor device including acapacitor whose charge capacity is increased while improving theaperture ratio. Further, an object of one embodiment of the presentinvention is to provide a semiconductor device which consumes lesspower.

One embodiment of the present invention includes a transistor whichincludes a light-transmitting semiconductor film, a capacitor in which adielectric film is provided between a pair of electrodes, an insulatingfilm which is provided over the light-transmitting semiconductor film,and a first light-transmitting conductive film which is provided overthe insulating film. The capacitor includes the first light-transmittingconductive film which serves as one electrode, the insulating film whichfunctions as a dielectric, and a second light-transmitting conductivefilm which faces the first light-transmitting conductive film with theinsulating film positioned therebetween and functions as the otherelectrode. The second light-transmitting conductive film is formed overthe same surface as the light-transmitting semiconductor film of thetransistor and is a metal oxide film containing a dopant.

Further, the light-transmitting semiconductor film included in thetransistor can be formed using an oxide semiconductor. This is becausean oxide semiconductor has an energy gap as wide as 3.0 eV or more andhigh visible-light transmittance. Note that a metal oxide exhibitingsemiconductor characteristics, such as the light-transmittingsemiconductor film included in the transistor, is referred to as anoxide semiconductor in this specification. Further, the secondlight-transmitting conductive film included in the capacitor exhibitsconductive characteristics and thus is referred to as a metal oxide.

A semiconductor film which is formed in a step of forming thesemiconductor film in the transistor is used as the secondlight-transmitting conductive film functioning as the other electrode ofthe capacitor, and a dopant is added to the semiconductor film toincrease the conductivity of the semiconductor film, whereby thesemiconductor film can be a metal oxide film having electricalcharacteristics of a conductor. For example, one or more kinds ofdopants selected from hydrogen, boron, nitrogen, fluorine, aluminum,phosphorus, arsenic, indium, tin, antimony, and rare gas elements can beadded to the semiconductor film by an ion implantation method, an iondoping method, or the like. Alternatively, it is possible to add thedopant(s) by exposing the semiconductor film to plasma containing theelement(s). In that case, the conductivity of the secondlight-transmitting conductive film serving as the other electrode of thecapacitor is greater than or equal to 10 S/cm and less than or equal to1000 S/cm, preferably greater than or equal to 100 S/cm and less than orequal to 1000 S/cm.

In the capacitor, the insulating film provided over thelight-transmitting semiconductor film included in the transistor is usedas the dielectric film; therefore, the dielectric film can have the samestacked-layer structure as the insulating film. For example, in the casewhere the insulating film provided over the semiconductor film includedin the transistor has a stacked-layer structure of an oxide insulatingfilm and a nitride insulating film, the dielectric film of the capacitorcan have a stacked-layer structure of the oxide insulating film and thenitride insulating film.

In the case where in the capacitor, the insulating film provided overthe semiconductor film included in the transistor is an oxide insulatingfilm and a nitride insulating film, only a portion of the oxideinsulating film in a region where the capacitor is to be formed isremoved after the oxide insulating film is formed, whereby thedielectric film of the capacitor can have a single-layer structure ofthe nitride insulating film. In other words, the nitride insulating filmis in contact with the second light-transmitting conductive filmfunctioning as the other electrode of the capacitor. The secondlight-transmitting conductive film is formed using the semiconductorfilm which is formed at the same time as formation of thelight-transmitting semiconductor film included in the transistor, andthe semiconductor film is in contact with the nitride insulating film,whereby a defect state (interface state) is formed at an interfacebetween the nitride insulating film and the semiconductor film. Furtheror alternatively, when the nitride insulating film is formed by a plasmaCVD method or a sputtering method, the semiconductor film is exposed toplasma and oxygen vacancies are generated. Furthermore, nitrogen and/orhydrogen contained in the nitride insulating film are/is transferred tothe semiconductor film. Due to entry of hydrogen contained in thenitride insulating film into the defect state or an oxygen vacancy, anelectron serving as a carrier is generated. Accordingly, thesemiconductor film becomes an n-type semiconductor film with increasedconductivity; thus, a film having conductivity is obtained. That is, ametal oxide film having characteristics of a conductor can be formed.Further, the thickness of the dielectric film can be reduced; therefore,an increase in the charge capacity of the capacitor can be achieved.

When the nitride insulating film is in contact with the semiconductorfilm in the capacitor as described above, a step of adding a dopantwhich increases the conductivity to the semiconductor film by an ionimplantation method, an ion doping method, or the like can be skipped;therefore, the yield of the semiconductor device can be increased andthe manufacturing cost thereof can be reduced.

In the case where the semiconductor film included in the transistor isan oxide semiconductor film and the insulating film over thesemiconductor film has a stacked-layer structure of an oxide insulatingfilm and a nitride insulating film, the oxide insulating film ispreferably not likely to transmit nitrogen, that is, the oxideinsulating film preferably has a barrier property against nitrogen.

With the above structure, one of or both nitrogen and hydrogen can beprevented from diffusing into the oxide semiconductor film as thesemiconductor film included in the transistor, so that variations in theelectrical characteristics of the transistor can be suppressed.

In the case where the first light-transmitting conductive film isconnected to the transistor, the first light-transmitting conductivefilm serves as a pixel electrode.

In the case where the first light-transmitting conductive film serves asa pixel electrode, a capacitor line extends in the direction parallel toa scan line, on the same surface as the scan line. The other electrode(the second light-transmitting conductive film) of the capacitor iselectrically connected to the capacitor line through a conductive filmformed at the same time as formation of source and drain electrodes ofthe transistor.

The capacitor line does not necessarily extend in the direction parallelto a scan line, on the same surface as the scan line. The capacitor linemay extend in the direction parallel to a signal line including thesource electrode or the drain electrode of the transistor, on the samesurface as the signal line, and may be electrically connected to theother electrode (second light-transmitting conductive film) of thecapacitor.

The capacitor line may be formed using the second light-transmittingconductive film included in the capacitor.

The capacitor line may be connected to each of capacitors included in aplurality of adjacent pixels. In this case, the capacitor line may beprovided between the adjacent pixels.

The second light-transmitting conductive film may be connected to thetransistor. In this case, the second light-transmitting conductive filmfunctions as a pixel electrode, and the first light-transmittingconductive film functions as a common electrode and the capacitor line.

With the above structure, the capacitor has a light-transmittingproperty and thus can be formed large (covers a large area) in a pixelregion except a portion where the transistor is not formed. For thisreason, the semiconductor device can have charge capacity increasedwhile improving the aperture ratio. Accordingly, the semiconductordevice can have excellent display quality.

The light-transmitting capacitor can be formed using a formation processof the transistor. One electrode of the capacitor can be formedutilizing the step of forming the light-transmitting conductive filmfunctioning as a pixel electrode or a common electrode. The otherelectrode of the capacitor can be formed utilizing the step of formingthe semiconductor film included in the transistor. Thus, thesemiconductor film included in the transistor and the other electrode ofthe capacitor contain the same metal elements. The dielectric film ofthe capacitor can be formed utilizing the step of forming the insulatingfilm provided over the semiconductor film included in the transistor.

A method for forming a semiconductor device of one embodiment of thepresent invention is one embodiment of the present invention.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a semiconductordevice including a capacitor whose charge capacity is increased whileimproving the aperture ratio can be provided. A semiconductor devicewith low power consumption can be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates a semiconductor device that is one embodiment of thepresent invention and FIG. 1B is a circuit diagram illustrating a pixel.

FIG. 2 is a top view illustrating a semiconductor device that is oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a semiconductor devicethat is one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a top view illustrating a semiconductor device that is oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a semiconductor devicethat is one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views illustrating a method formanufacturing a semiconductor device that is one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views illustrating a method formanufacturing a semiconductor device that is one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views illustrating a method formanufacturing a semiconductor device that is one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a semiconductor devicethat is one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a semiconductor devicethat is one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a top view illustrating a semiconductor device that is oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a top view illustrating a semiconductor device that is oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a top view illustrating a semiconductor device that is oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a top view illustrating a semiconductor device that is oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a semiconductor devicethat is one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 16A and 16B are cross-sectional views illustrating a method formanufacturing a semiconductor device that is one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIGS. 17A and 17B are cross-sectional views illustrating a method formanufacturing a semiconductor device that is one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIGS. 18A and 18B are top views illustrating a semiconductor device thatis one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a semiconductor devicethat is one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a semiconductor devicethat is one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 21A to 21C are each a top view illustrating a semiconductor devicethat is one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 22A and 22B are each a cross-sectional view illustrating asemiconductor device that is one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 23A to 23C are cross-sectional views and a top view illustrating asemiconductor device that is one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 24A to 24C illustrate electronic appliances each including asemiconductor device that is one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 25A to 25C illustrate an electronic appliance including asemiconductor device that is one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 26A to 26D illustrate structures of samples.

FIG. 27 is a graph showing sheet resistance.

FIGS. 28A and 28B are graphs showing results of SIMS measurement.

FIGS. 29A to 29 C are graphs showing results of ESR measurement.

FIG. 30 is a graph showing results of ESR measurement.

FIG. 31 is a graph showing sheet resistance.

FIG. 32 is a graph showing sheet resistance.

FIGS. 33A to 33D illustrate bulk models of InGaZnO₄ crystals.

FIGS. 34A and 34B show formation energy and a thermodynamic transitionlevel of VoH, respectively.

FIG. 35A shows methods for forming samples and FIG. 35B shows sheetresistances of the samples.

FIGS. 36A to 36D illustrate formation processes of samples and thestructures of the samples.

FIGS. 37A to 37C are graphs each showing the transmittance of a sample.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments and examples of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.However, the present invention is not limited to the description below,and it is easily understood by those skilled in the art that modes anddetails disclosed herein can be modified in various ways. In addition,the present invention is not construed as being limited to the followingdescriptions of the embodiments and examples.

Note that in structures of the present invention described below, thesame portions or portions having similar functions are denoted by commonreference numerals in different drawings, and descriptions thereof arenot repeated. Further, the same hatching pattern is applied to portionshaving similar functions, and the portions are not especially denoted byreference numerals in some cases.

Note that in each drawing described in this specification, the size, thefilm thickness, or the region of each component is exaggerated forclarity in some cases. Therefore, the embodiments and example of thepresent invention are not limited to such scales in the drawings.

Note that the ordinal numbers such as “first” and “second” in thisspecification are used for convenience and do not denote the order ofsteps or the stacking order of layers. In addition, the ordinal numbersin this specification do not denote particular names which specify thepresent invention.

Functions of a “source” and a “drain” in the present invention aresometimes replaced with each other when the direction of current flow ischanged in circuit operation, for example. Therefore, the terms “source”and “drain” can be interchanged with each other in this specification.

Note that a voltage refers to a difference between potentials of twopoints, and a potential refers to electrostatic energy (electricpotential energy) of unit charge at a given point in an electrostaticfield. Note that in general, a difference between a potential of onepoint and a reference potential (e.g., a ground potential) is merelycalled a potential or a voltage, and a potential and a voltage are usedas synonymous words in many cases. Thus, in this specification, apotential may be rephrased as a voltage and a voltage may be rephrasedas a potential unless otherwise specified.

In this specification, in the case where etching treatment is performedafter photolithography process, a mask formed in the photolithographyprocess is removed after the etching treatment.

Embodiment 1

In this embodiment, a semiconductor device of one embodiment of thepresent invention will be described with reference to drawings. Notethat in this embodiment, a semiconductor device that is one embodimentof the present invention will be described taking a liquid crystaldisplay device as an example.

<Structure of Semiconductor Device>

FIG. 1A illustrates an example of a semiconductor device. Thesemiconductor device in FIG. 1A includes a pixel portion 100, a scanline driver circuit 104, a signal line driver circuit 106, m scan lines107 which are arranged in parallel or substantially in parallel andwhose potentials are controlled by the scan line driver circuit 104, andn signal lines 109 which are arranged in parallel or substantially inparallel and whose potentials are controlled by the signal line drivercircuit 106. Further, the pixel portion 100 includes a plurality ofpixels 201 arranged in a matrix. Furthermore, capacitor lines 115arranged in parallel or substantially in parallel are provided along thescan lines 107. Note that the capacitor lines 115 may be arranged inparallel or substantially in parallel along the signal lines 109.

Each scan line 107 is electrically connected to the n pixels 201 in thecorresponding row among the pixels 201 arranged in m rows and n columnsin the pixel portion 100. Each signal line 109 is electrically connectedto the m pixels 201 in the corresponding column among the pixels 201arranged in m rows and n columns. Note that m and n are each an integerof 1 or more. Each capacitor line 115 is electrically connected to the npixels 201 in the corresponding row among the pixels 201 arranged in mrows and n columns. Note that in the case where the capacitor lines 115are arranged in parallel or substantially in parallel along the signallines 109, each capacitor line 115 is electrically connected to the mpixels 201 in the corresponding column among the pixels 201 arranged inm rows and n columns.

FIG. 1B is an example of a circuit diagram of the pixel 201 included inthe semiconductor device illustrated in FIG. 1A. The pixel 201 in FIG.1B includes a transistor 103 which is electrically connected to the scanline 107 and the signal line 109, a capacitor 205 one electrode of whichis electrically connected to a drain electrode of the transistor 103 andthe other electrode of which is electrically connected to the capacitorline 115 which supplies a constant potential, and a liquid crystalelement 108. A pixel electrode of the liquid crystal element 108 iselectrically connected to the drain electrode of the transistor 103 andthe one electrode of the capacitor 205, and an electrode (counterelectrode) facing the pixel electrode is electrically connected to awiring which supplies a counter potential.

The liquid crystal element 108 is an element which controls transmissionof light by an optical modulation action of liquid crystal which issandwiched between a substrate provided with the transistor 103 and thepixel electrode and a substrate provided with the counter electrode. Theoptical modulation action of liquid crystal is controlled by an electricfield applied to the liquid crystal (including a vertical electric fieldand a diagonal electric field). Note that in the case where a counterelectrode (also referred to as a common electrode) is provided over thesubstrate where the pixel electrode is provided, an electric fieldapplied to liquid crystal is a transverse electric field.

Next, a specific example of the pixel 201 of the liquid crystal displaydevice is described. FIG. 2 is a top view of the pixel 201. Note that inFIG. 2, the counter electrode and the liquid crystal element areomitted.

In FIG. 2, the scan line 107 is provided so as to extend in thedirection perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the signalline 109 (in the horizontal direction in the drawing). The signal line109 is provided so as to extend in the direction perpendicular orsubstantially perpendicular to the scan line 107 (in the verticaldirection in the drawing). The capacitor line 115 is provided so as toextend in the direction parallel with the scan line 107. The scan line107 and the capacitor line 115 are electrically connected to the scanline driver circuit 104 (see FIG. 1A), and the signal line 109 iselectrically connected to the signal line driver circuit 106 (see FIG.1A).

The transistor 103 is provided in a region where the scan line 107 andthe signal line 109 cross each other. The transistor 103 includes atleast a semiconductor film 111 including a channel formation region, agate electrode, a gate insulating film (not illustrated in FIG. 2), asource electrode, and a drain electrode. A portion of the scan line 107which overlaps with the semiconductor film 111 functions as the gateelectrode of the transistor 103. A portion of the signal line 109 whichoverlaps with the semiconductor film 111 functions as the sourceelectrode of the transistor 103. A portion of a conductive film 113which overlaps with the semiconductor film 111 functions as the drainelectrode of the transistor 103. Thus, the gate electrode, the sourceelectrode, and the drain electrode may be referred to as the scan line107, the signal line 109, and the conductive film 113, respectively.Further, in FIG. 2, an edge of the scan line 107 is on the outer side ofan edge of the semiconductor film when seen from above. Thus, the scanline 107 functions as a light-blocking film for blocking light from alight source such as a backlight. For this reason, the semiconductorfilm 111 included in the transistor is not irradiated with light, sothat variations in the electrical characteristics of the transistor canbe reduced.

Further, an oxide semiconductor processed under appropriate conditionscan significantly reduce the off-state current of a transistor;therefore, such an oxide semiconductor is used for the semiconductorfilm 111 in one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, powerconsumption of a semiconductor device can be reduced.

The conductive film 113 is electrically connected to a pixel electrode221 formed using a light-transmitting conductive film, through anopening 117. In FIG. 2, the hatch pattern of the pixel electrode 221 isnot shown.

The capacitor 205 is provided in a region of the pixel 201 and locatedin a region surrounded by capacitor lines 115 and signal lines 109. Thecapacitor 205 is electrically connected to the capacitor line 115through a conductive film 125 provided in and over an opening 123. Thecapacitor 205 includes a light-transmitting conductive film 119, thelight-transmitting pixel electrode 221, and a light-transmittinginsulating film (not illustrated in FIG. 2) which is formed as adielectric film over the transistor 103. In short, the capacitor 205transmits light.

Thanks to the light-transmitting property of the capacitor 205, thecapacitor 205 can be formed large (covers a large area) in the pixel201. Thus, a semiconductor device having charge capacity increased whileimproving the aperture ratio, to typically 55% or more, preferably 60%or more can be obtained. For example, in a semiconductor device with ahigh resolution such as a liquid crystal display device, the area of apixel is small and thus the area of a capacitor is also small. For thisreason, the charge capacity of the capacitor is small. However, sincethe capacitor 205 of this embodiment has a light-transmitting property,when it is provided in a pixel, enough charge capacity can be obtainedin the pixel and the aperture ratio can be improved. Typically, thecapacitor 205 can be favorably used in a high-resolution semiconductordevice with a pixel density of 200 ppi or more, or furthermore, 300 ppior more. Further, according to one embodiment of the present invention,the aperture ratio can be improved even in a display device with a highresolution, which makes it possible to use light from a light sourcesuch as a backlight efficiently, so that power consumption of thedisplay device can be reduced.

Here, the characteristics of a transistor including an oxidesemiconductor are described. The transistor including an oxidesemiconductor is an n-channel transistor. Further, carriers might begenerated due to oxygen vacancies in the oxide semiconductor, whichmight degrade the electrical characteristics and reliability of thetransistor. For example, in some cases, the threshold voltage of thetransistor is shifted in the negative direction, and drain current flowswhen the gate voltage is 0 V. A transistor in which drain current flowswhen the gate voltage is 0 V are referred to as a normally-ontransistor, and a transistor having such characteristics is referred toas a depletion-type transistor. The characteristics of a transistor inwhich substantially no drain current flows when the gate voltage is 0 Vare referred to as normally-off characteristics, and a transistor havingsuch characteristics is referred to as an enhancement-type transistor.

In view of the above, it is preferable that defects in an oxidesemiconductor film as the semiconductor film 111, typically, oxygenvacancies be reduced as much as possible when an oxide semiconductor isused for the semiconductor film 111. For example, it is preferable thatthe spin density of the oxide semiconductor film (the density of defectsin the oxide semiconductor film) at a g-value of 1.93 in electron spinresonance spectroscopy in which a magnetic field is applied in parallelwith the film surface be reduced to lower than or equal to the lowerdetection limit of measurement equipment. When the defects typified byoxygen vacancies in the oxide semiconductor film are reduced as much aspossible, the transistor 103 can be prevented from being normally on,leading to improvements in the electrical characteristics andreliability of a semiconductor device. Further, power consumption of thesemiconductor device can be reduced.

The shift of the threshold voltage of a transistor in the negativedirection is caused by hydrogen (including a hydrogen compound such aswater) contained in an oxide semiconductor in some cases as well as byoxygen vacancies. Hydrogen contained in the oxide semiconductor isreacted with oxygen bonded to a metal atom to be water, and in addition,vacancies (also referred to as oxygen vacancies) are formed in a latticefrom which oxygen is released (or a portion from which oxygen isremoved). In addition, the reaction of part of hydrogen and oxygencauses generation of electrons serving as carriers. Thus, a transistorincluding an oxide semiconductor which contains hydrogen is likely tohave normally-on characteristics.

In view of the above, when an oxide semiconductor is used for thesemiconductor film 111, it is preferable that hydrogen in the oxidesemiconductor film as the semiconductor film 111 be reduced as much aspossible. Specifically, the concentration of hydrogen in thesemiconductor film 111, which is measured by secondary ion massspectrometry (SIMS), is set to lower than 5×10¹⁸ atoms/cm³, preferablylower than or equal to 1×10¹⁸ atoms/cm³, further preferably lower thanor equal to 5×10¹⁷ atoms/cm³, still further preferably lower than orequal to 1×10¹⁶ atoms/cm³.

The concentration of alkali metals or alkaline earth metals in thesemiconductor film 111, which is measured by secondary ion massspectrometry (SIMS), is set to lower than or equal to 1×10¹⁸ atoms/cm³,preferably lower than or equal to 2×10¹⁶ atoms/cm³. This is because analkali metal and an alkaline earth metal might generate carriers whenbonded to an oxide semiconductor, in which case the off-state current ofthe transistor 103 might be increased.

Further, when nitrogen is contained in an oxide semiconductor film asthe semiconductor film 111, electrons serving as carriers are generatedand the carrier density increases, so that the oxide semiconductor filmeasily becomes n-type. Thus, a transistor including an oxidesemiconductor which contains nitrogen is likely to have normally-oncharacteristics. For this reason, nitrogen in the oxide semiconductorfilm is preferably reduced as much as possible; the concentration ofnitrogen is preferably set to, for example, lower than or equal to5×10¹⁸ atoms/cm³.

When such an oxide semiconductor film highly purified by reducingimpurities (such as hydrogen, nitrogen, an alkali metal, and an alkalineearth metal) as much as possible is used as the semiconductor film 111,the transistor 103 becomes an enhancement-type transistor and can beprevented from having normally-on characteristics, so that the off-statecurrent of the transistor 103 can be significantly reduced. Therefore, asemiconductor device having favorable electrical characteristics can befabricated. Further, a highly reliable semiconductor device can befabricated.

Various experiments can prove the low off-state current of a transistorincluding a highly-purified oxide semiconductor film. For example, evenwhen an element has a channel width of 1×10⁶ μm and a channel length (L)of 10 μm, the off-state current can be less than or equal to themeasurement limit of a semiconductor parameter analyzer, i.e., less thanor equal to 1×10⁻¹³ A, at a voltage (drain voltage) between a sourceelectrode and a drain electrode of from 1 V to 10 V. In this case, itcan be seen that the off-state current corresponding to a value obtainedby dividing the off-state current by the channel width of the transistoris 100 zA/μm or lower. Further, the off-state current was measured withthe use of a circuit in which a capacitor and a transistor are connectedto each other and charge that flows in or out from the capacitor iscontrolled by the transistor. In the measurement, a purified oxidesemiconductor film is used for a channel formation region of thetransistor, and the off-state current of the transistor is measured froma change in the amount of charge of the capacitor per unit time. As aresult, in the case where the voltage between a source electrode and adrain electrode of the transistor is 3 V, a lower off-state current ofseveral tens of yoctoamperes per micrometer (yA/μm) can be achieved.Thus, the transistor including the highly purified oxide semiconductorfilm has a significantly low off-state current.

Next, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along dashed-dotted linesA1-A2 and B1-B2 in FIG. 2.

A cross-sectional structure of the pixel 201 of the liquid crystaldisplay device is as follows. The liquid crystal display device includesan element portion over a substrate 102, an element portion on asubstrate 150, and a liquid crystal layer positioned between the twoelement portions.

First, the structure of the element portion over the substrate 102 isdescribed. The scan line 107 including a gate electrode 107 a of thetransistor 103 and the capacitor line 115 over the same surface as thescan line 107 are provided over the substrate 102. A gate insulatingfilm 127 is provided over the scan line 107 and the capacitor line 115.The semiconductor film 111 is provided over a portion of the gateinsulating film 127 which overlaps with the scan line 107, and thelight-transmitting conductive film 119 is provided over the gateinsulating film 127. The signal line 109 including a source electrode109 a of the transistor 103 and the conductive film 113 including adrain electrode 113 a of the transistor 103 are provided over thesemiconductor film 111 and the gate insulating film 127. The opening 123reaching the capacitor line 115 is formed in the gate insulating film127, and the conductive film 125 is provided in and over the opening 123and over the gate insulating film 127 and the light-transmittingconductive film 119. An insulating film 229, an insulating film 231, andan insulating film 232 functioning as protective insulating films of thetransistor 103 are provided over the gate insulating film 127, thesignal line 109, the semiconductor film 111, the conductive film 113,and the conductive film 125. Further, the insulating film 232 isprovided in contact with the light-transmitting conductive film 119 atleast in a region which is to be the capacitor 205. The opening 117reaching the conductive film 113 is formed in the insulating film 229,the insulating film 231, and the insulating film 232, and the pixelelectrode 221 is provided in the opening 117 and over the insulatingfilm 232. An insulating film 158 functioning as an alignment film isprovided over the pixel electrode 221 and the insulating film 232. Notethat a base insulating film may be provided between the substrate 102and each of the scan line 107, the capacitor line 115, and the gateinsulating film 127.

In the capacitor 205 illustrated in this embodiment, one of a pair ofelectrodes is a pixel electrode 221, the other of the pair of electrodesis the light-transmitting conductive film 119 that is a metal oxide filmhaving electrical characteristics of a conductor and which is obtainedusing the semiconductor film formed in the same process as thesemiconductor film 111, and a dielectric film between the pair ofelectrodes is the insulating film 232, whereby the thickness of thedielectric film can be small. Therefore, the charge capacity of thecapacitor 205 can be increased.

The insulating film 232 is preferably a nitride insulating film.

Note that in FIG. 2, an edge of a region (indicated by dashed-two dottedlines) where the insulating film 229 (not illustrated) and theinsulating film 231 (not illustrated) are not provided is on the outerside of the light-transmitting conductive film 119; however, an edge ofa region (indicated by dashed-two dotted lines) where an insulating film279 (not illustrated) and the insulating film 281 (not illustrated) arenot provided may be over the light-transmitting conductive film 119 asillustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along dashed-dotted lines A1-A2and B1-B2 in FIG. 4.

In FIG. 5, the insulating film 279, the insulating film 281, and aninsulating film 282 functioning as protective insulating films of thetransistor 103 are provided over the gate insulating film 127, thesignal line 109, the semiconductor film 111, the conductive film 113,the conductive film 125, and the light-transmitting conductive film 119.Edge portions of the insulating film 279 and the insulating film 281 arelocated over the light-transmitting conductive film 119. The insulatingfilm 282 is provided over the light-transmitting conductive film 119. Acapacitor 255 includes the light-transmitting conductive film 119, theinsulating film 282, and a pixel electrode 271. Note that the insulatingfilm 279, the insulating film 281, and the insulating film 282 can beformed using materials similar to those of the insulating film 229, theinsulating film 231, and the insulating film 232, respectively. Inaddition, the pixel electrode 271 can be formed using a material similarto that of the pixel electrode 221. As illustrated in FIG. 5, since theedge portions of the insulating film 279 and the insulating film 281 arelocated over the light-transmitting conductive film 119, the gateinsulating film 127 can be prevented from being excessively etched inetching of the insulating film 279 and the insulating film 281.

The details of the components of the above structure are describedbelow.

Although there is no particular limitation on a material and the like ofthe substrate 102, it is necessary that the substrate have heatresistance high enough to withstand at least heat treatment performed ina fabrication process of a semiconductor device. Examples of thesubstrate are a glass substrate, a ceramic substrate, and a plasticsubstrate, and as the glass substrate, an alkali-free glass substratesuch as a barium borosilicate glass substrate, an aluminoborosilicateglass substrate, or an aluminosilicate glass substrate is preferablyused. Alternatively, a non-light-transmitting substrate such as astainless alloy substrate may be used, in which case a surface of thesubstrate is preferably provided with an insulating film. As thesubstrate 102, any of the following may alternatively be used: a quartzsubstrate, a sapphire substrate, a single crystal semiconductorsubstrate, a polycrystalline semiconductor substrate, a compoundsemiconductor substrate, and a silicon on insulator (SOI) substrate.

The scan line 107 and the capacitor line 115, through which a largeamount of current flows, are preferably formed using a metal film;typically, they are formed to have a single-layer structure or a layeredstructure using any of metal materials such as molybdenum (Mo), titanium(Ti), tungsten (W), tantalum (Ta), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), chromium(Cr), neodymium (Nd), or scandium (Sc), or an alloy material whichcontains any of these materials as its main component.

Examples of the scan line 107 and the capacitor line 115 are asingle-layer structure using aluminum containing silicon, a two-layerstructure in which titanium is stacked over aluminum, a two-layerstructure in which titanium is stacked over titanium nitride, atwo-layer structure in which tungsten is stacked over titanium nitride,a two-layer structure in which tungsten is stacked over tantalumnitride, a two-layer structure in which copper is stacked over Cu—Mg—Alalloy, and a three-layer structure in which titanium nitride, copper,and tungsten are stacked in this order.

As a material of the scan line 107 and the capacitor line 115, alight-transmitting conductive material which can be used for the pixelelectrode 221 can be used.

Alternatively, as a material of the scan line 107 and the capacitor line115, a metal oxide containing nitrogen, specifically, an In—Ga—Zn-basedoxide containing nitrogen, an In—Sn-based oxide containing nitrogen, anIn—Ga-based oxide containing nitrogen, an In—Zn-based oxide containingnitrogen, a Sn-based oxide containing nitrogen, an In-based oxidecontaining nitrogen, or a metal nitride (InN, SnN, or the like) can beused. These materials each have a work function higher than or equal to5 eV (electron volts). When such an oxide semiconductor is used for thesemiconductor film 111 in the transistor 103, the use of a metal oxidecontaining nitrogen for the scan line 107 (the gate electrode of thetransistor 103) allows the threshold voltage of the transistor 103 to beshifted in the positive direction, i.e., the transistor can be normallyoff. For example, in the case of using an In—Ga—Zn-based oxidecontaining nitrogen, an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide having at least a highernitrogen concentration than the semiconductor film 111, specifically, anIn—Ga—Zn-based oxide having a nitrogen concentration of 7 at. % orhigher can be used.

The scan line 107 and the capacitor line 115 are preferably formed usingaluminum or copper, which are materials of low electrical resistance.With the use of aluminum or copper, signal delay is reduced, so thathigher image quality can be achieved. Note that aluminum has low heatresistance, and thus a defect due to hillocks, whiskers, or migration iseasily generated. To prevent migration of aluminum, a layer of a metalmaterial having a higher melting point than aluminum, such asmolybdenum, titanium, or tungsten, is preferably stacked over analuminum layer. Also in the case where copper is used, in order toprevent a defect due to migration and diffusion of copper element, alayer of a metal material having a higher melting point than copper,such as molybdenum, titanium, or tungsten, is preferably stacked over acopper layer.

The gate insulating film 127 is formed to have a single-layer structureor a layered structure using, for example, any of insulating materialssuch as silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, silicon nitride oxide,silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, hafnium oxide, gallium oxide, and aGa—Zn-based metal oxide. In order to improve the characteristics of theinterface between the gate insulating film 127 and the oxidesemiconductor film as the semiconductor film 111, a region in the gateinsulating film 127 which is in contact with at least the semiconductorfilm 111 is preferably formed using an oxide insulating film.

Further, it is possible to prevent outward diffusion of oxygen from theoxide semiconductor film as the semiconductor film 111 and entry ofhydrogen, water, or the like into the oxide semiconductor film from theoutside by providing an insulating film having a barrier propertyagainst oxygen, hydrogen, water, and the like under the gate insulatingfilm 127. Examples of the insulating film having a barrier propertyagainst oxygen, hydrogen, water, and the like are an aluminum oxidefilm, an aluminum oxynitride film, a gallium oxide film, a galliumoxynitride film, an yttrium oxide film, an yttrium oxynitride film, ahafnium oxide film, a hafnium oxynitride film, and a silicon nitridefilm.

The gate insulating film 127 may be formed using a high-k material suchas hafnium silicate (HfSiO_(x)), hafnium silicate containing nitrogen(HfSi_(x)O_(y)N_(z)), hafnium aluminate containing nitrogen(HfAl_(x)O_(y)N_(z)), hafnium oxide, or yttrium oxide, in which casegate leakage current of the transistor 103 can be reduced.

The gate insulating film 127 preferably has the following layeredstructure. It is preferable that a silicon nitride film having fewdefects be provided as a first silicon nitride film, a silicon nitridefilm from which little hydrogen and ammonia are released be provided asa second silicon nitride film over the first silicon nitride film, andany of the oxide insulating films listed as those used for the gateinsulating film 127 be provided over the second silicon nitride film.

As the second silicon nitride film, a nitride insulating film whichreleases less hydrogen molecules than 5×10²¹ molecules/cm³, preferablyless than or equal to 3×10²¹ molecules/cm³, more preferably less than orequal to 1×10²¹ molecules/cm³, and less ammonia molecules than 1×10²²molecules/cm³, preferably less than or equal to 5×10²¹ molecules/cm³,more preferably less than or equal to 1×10²¹ molecules/cm³ by thermaldesorption spectroscopy is preferably used. The first silicon nitridefilm and the second silicon nitride film are used as part of the gateinsulating film 127, whereby a gate insulating film which has fewdefects and from which little hydrogen and ammonia are released can beformed as the gate insulating film 127. Thus, the amount of hydrogen andnitrogen contained in the gate insulating film 127 which enter thesemiconductor film 111 can be reduced.

In the case where the trap levels (also referred to as interface states)are present at the interface between an oxide semiconductor film and agate insulating film or in the gate insulating film in a transistorincluding an oxide semiconductor, a shift of the threshold voltage ofthe transistor, typically, a shift of the threshold voltage in thenegative direction, and an increase in the subthreshold swing (S value)showing a gate voltage needed for changing the drain current by an orderof magnitude when the transistor is turned on are caused. As a result,there is a problem in that electrical characteristics vary amongtransistors. Therefore, the use of a silicon nitride film having fewdefects as a gate insulating film and provision of an oxide insulatingfilm in contact with the semiconductor film 111 can reduce a shift ofthe threshold voltage in the negative direction and minimize an increasein S value.

The thickness of the gate insulating film 127 is greater than or equalto 5 nm and less than or equal to 400 nm, preferably greater than orequal to 10 nm and less than or equal to 300 nm, more preferably greaterthan or equal to 50 nm and less than or equal to 250 nm.

The semiconductor film 111 is an oxide semiconductor film which can beamorphous, single-crystalline, or polycrystalline. The thickness of thesemiconductor film 111 is greater than or equal to 1 nm and less than orequal to 100 nm, preferably greater than or equal to 1 nm and less thanor equal to 50 nm, further preferably greater than or equal to 1 nm andless than or equal to 30 nm, still further preferably greater than orequal to 3 nm and less than or equal to 20 nm.

An oxide semiconductor which can be used for the semiconductor film 111has an energy gap of greater than or equal to 2 eV, preferably greaterthan or equal to 2.5 eV, more preferably greater than or equal to 3 eV.The use of such an oxide semiconductor having a wide energy gap canreduce the off-state current of the transistor 103.

An oxide semiconductor used for the semiconductor film 111 preferablycontains at least indium (In) or zinc (Zn). Alternatively, the oxidesemiconductor preferably contains both In and Zn. In order to reducevariations in electrical characteristics of the transistors includingthe oxide semiconductor, the oxide semiconductor preferably contains oneor more stabilizers in addition to one of or both In and Zn.

Examples of stabilizers are gallium (Ga), tin (Sn), hafnium (Hf),aluminum (Al), and zirconium (Zr). Other examples of stabilizers arelanthanoids such as lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr),neodymium (Nd), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium(Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm),ytterbium (Yb), and lutetium (Lu).

For an oxide semiconductor which can be used for the semiconductor film111, for example, the following can be used: an indium oxide; a tinoxide; a zinc oxide; an oxide containing two kinds of metals, such as anIn—Zn-based oxide, a Sn—Zn-based oxide, an Al—Zn-based oxide, aZn—Mg-based oxide, a Sn—Mg-based oxide, an In—Mg-based oxide, or anIn—Ga-based oxide; an oxide containing three kinds of metals, such as anIn—Ga—Zn-based oxide (also referred to as IGZO), an In—Al—Zn-basedoxide, an In—Sn—Zn-based oxide, a Sn—Ga—Zn-based oxide, anAl—Ga—Zn-based oxide, a Sn—Al—Zn-based oxide, an In—Hf—Zn-based oxide,an In—Zr—Zn-based oxide, an In—Ti—Zn-based oxide, an In—Sc—Zn-basedoxide, an In—Y—Zn-based oxide, an In—La—Zn-based oxide, anIn—Ce—Zn-based oxide, an In—Pr—Zn-based oxide, an In—Nd—Zn-based oxide,an In—Sm—Zn-based oxide, an In—Eu—Zn-based oxide, an In—Gd—Zn-basedoxide, an In—Tb—Zn-based oxide, an In—Dy—Zn-based oxide, anIn—Ho—Zn-based oxide, an In—Er—Zn-based oxide, an In—Tm—Zn-based oxide,an In—Yb—Zn-based oxide, or an In—Lu—Zn-based oxide; or an oxidecontaining four kinds of metals, such as an In—Sn—Ga—Zn-based oxide, anIn—Hf—Ga—Zn-based oxide, an In—Al—Ga—Zn-based oxide, anIn—Sn—Al—Zn-based oxide, an In—Sn—Hf—Zn-based oxide, or anIn—Hf—Al—Zn-based oxide.

Here, an “In—Ga—Zn-based oxide” means an oxide containing In, Ga, and Znas its main components and there is no particular limitation on theratio of In, Ga, and Zn. Further, the In—Ga—Zn-based oxide may contain ametal element other than In, Ga, and Zn.

Alternatively, a material represented by InMO₃(ZnO)_(m) (m>0) may beused as an oxide semiconductor. Note that M represents one or more metalelements selected from Ga, Fe, Mn, and Co, or the above element as astabilizer.

For example, an In—Ga—Zn-based metal oxide with an atomic ratio ofIn:Ga:Zn=1:1:1 (=⅓:⅓:⅓), In:Ga:Zn=2:2:1 (=⅖:⅖:⅕), or In:Ga:Zn=3:1:2(=½:⅙:⅓). Alternatively, an In—Sn—Zn-based oxide with an atomic ratio ofIn:Sn:Zn=1:1:1 (=⅓:⅓:⅓), In:Sn:Zn=2:1:3 (=⅓:⅙:½), or In:Sn:Zn=2:1:5(=¼:⅛:⅝) may be used. Note that the proportion of each atom in theatomic ratio of the metal oxide varies within a range of ±20% as anerror.

Note that without limitation to the materials given above, a materialwith an appropriate atomic ratio depending on semiconductorcharacteristics and electrical characteristics (field-effect mobility,threshold voltage, and the like) may be used. Further, it is preferableto appropriately set the carrier density, the impurity concentration,the defect density, the atomic ratio of a metal element and oxygen, theinteratomic distance, the density, or the like in order to obtainnecessary semiconductor characteristics. For example, high field-effectmobility can be achieved relatively easily in the case of using anIn—Sn—Zn oxide. Also in the case of using an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide,field-effect mobility can be increased by reducing the defect density ina bulk.

The light-transmitting conductive film 119 contains, as a maincomponent, a material similar to that of the semiconductor film 111, andis formed of a metal oxide having characteristics of a conductor, whichis obtained by making the metal oxide contain nitrogen and/or hydrogento increase its conductivity.

Both the semiconductor film 111 and the light-transmitting conductivefilm 119 are formed over a gate insulating film and are formed of metaloxide films containing the same metal elements, but differ in impurityconcentration. Specifically, the light-transmitting conductive film 119has a higher impurity concentration than the semiconductor film 111. Forexample, the concentration of hydrogen contained in the semiconductorfilm 111 is lower than 5×10¹⁹ atoms/cm³, preferably lower than 5×10¹⁸atoms/cm³, more preferably lower than or equal to 1×10¹⁸ atoms/cm³,further preferably lower than or equal to 5×10¹⁷ atoms/cm³, stillfurther preferably lower than or equal to 1×10¹⁶ atoms/cm³. Theconcentration of hydrogen contained in the light-transmitting conductivefilm 119 is higher than or equal to 8×10¹⁹ atoms/cm³, preferably higherthan or equal to 1×10²⁰ atoms/cm³, further preferably higher than orequal to 5×10²⁰ atoms/cm³. The concentration of hydrogen contained inthe light-transmitting conductive film 119 is greater than or equal to 2times, preferably greater than or equal to 10 times that in thesemiconductor film 111.

The light-transmitting conductive film 119 has lower resistivity thanthe semiconductor film 111. The resistivity of the light-transmittingconductive film 119 is preferably greater than or equal to 1×10⁻⁸ timesand less than or equal to 1×10⁻¹ times the resistivity of thesemiconductor film 111. The resistivity of the light-transmittingconductive film 119 is typically greater than or equal to 1×10⁻³ Ωcm andless than 1×10⁴ Ωcm, preferably greater than or equal to 1×10⁻³ Ωcm andless than 1×10⁻¹ Ωcm.

The signal line 109 including the source electrode 109 a of thetransistor 103, the conductive film 113 including the drain electrode ofthe transistor 103, and the conductive film 125 electrically connectingthe light-transmitting conductive film 119 and the capacitor line 115 inthe capacitor 205 can be formed to have a single-layer structure or alayered structure using a material which can be used for the scan line107 and the capacitor line 115.

The insulating films 229, 231, and 232 functioning as the protectiveinsulating films of the transistor 103 and the dielectric film in thecapacitor 205 are insulating films each formed using a material whichcan be used for the gate insulating film 127. It is particularlypreferable that the insulating films 229 and 231 be oxide insulatingfilms and the insulating film 232 be a nitride insulating film. Further,the use of a nitride insulating film as the insulating film 232 cansuppress entry of impurities such as hydrogen and water into thetransistor 103 (in particular in the semiconductor film 111) from theoutside. Note that the insulating film 229 is not necessarily provided.

Further, an oxide insulating film in which the oxygen content is higherthan that in the stoichiometric composition is preferably used as one ofor both the insulating film 229 and the insulating film 231. In thatcase, oxygen can be prevented from being released from the oxidesemiconductor film, and the oxygen contained in an oxygen-excess oxideinsulating film can enter the oxide semiconductor film to reduce oxygenvacancies. For example, when an oxide insulating film having thefollowing feature is used, oxygen vacancies in the oxide semiconductorfilm can be reduced. The feature of the oxide insulating film is thatthe number of oxygen molecules released from the oxide insulating filmis greater than or equal to 1.0×10¹⁸/cm³ when measured by thermaldesorption spectroscopy (hereinafter referred to as TDS spectroscopy).Note that an oxide insulating film partly including a region in whichthe oxygen content is higher than that in the stoichiometric composition(oxygen excess region) may be used as one of or both the insulating film229 and the insulating film 231. When such an oxygen excess region ispresent in a region overlapping with at least the semiconductor film111, oxygen is prevented from being released from the oxidesemiconductor film and the oxygen contained in the oxygen-excess oxideinsulating film can enter the oxide semiconductor film to reduce oxygenvacancies.

In the case where the insulating film 231 is an oxide insulating film inwhich the oxygen content is higher than that in the stoichiometriccomposition, the insulating film 229 is preferably an oxide insulatingfilm that oxygen can permeate. Oxygen which enters the insulating film229 from the outside does not completely go through the insulating film229 to be released into the semiconductor film 111 and part thereofremains in the insulating film 229. Further, there is oxygen which iscontained in the insulating film 229 from the start and is released fromthe insulating film 229 to the outside. Thus, the insulating film 229preferably has a high coefficient of diffusion of oxygen.

Since the insulating film 229 is in contact with the oxide semiconductorfilm as the semiconductor film 111, the insulating film 229 ispreferably an oxide insulating film that oxygen can permeate and whichhas a low density of interface states with the semiconductor film 111.For example, the insulating film 229 is preferably an oxide insulatingfilm having a lower defect density than the insulating film 231.Specifically, the spin density of the oxide insulating film at a g-valueof 2.001 (E′-center) measured by electron spin resonance spectroscopy islower than or equal to 3.0×10¹⁷ spins/cm³, preferably lower than orequal to 5.0×10¹⁶ spins/cm³. The spin density at a g-value of 2.001measured by electron spin resonance spectroscopy corresponds to thenumber of dangling bonds in the insulating film 229.

The insulating film 229 can have a thickness of greater than or equal to5 nm and less than or equal to 150 nm, preferably greater than or equalto 5 nm and less than or equal to 50 nm, more preferably greater than orequal to 10 nm and less than or equal to 30 nm. The insulating film 231can have a thickness of greater than or equal to 30 nm and less than orequal to 500 nm, preferably greater than or equal to 150 nm and lessthan or equal to 400 nm.

In the case where a nitride insulating film is used as the insulatingfilm 232, an insulating film having a barrier property against nitrogenis preferably used as one of or both the insulating film 229 and theinsulating film 231. For example, a dense oxide insulating film can havea barrier property against nitrogen. Specifically, an oxide insulatingfilm which can be etched by 0.5 wt % of fluoric acid at a rate of lessthan or equal to 10 nm per minute when the temperature is 25° C. ispreferably used.

In the case where an oxide insulating film containing nitrogen, such asa silicon oxynitride film or a silicon nitride oxide film, is used asone of or both the insulating film 229 and the insulating film 231, thenitrogen concentration measured by SIMS is greater than or equal to thelower limit of measurement by SIMS and less than 3×10²⁰ atoms/cm³,preferably greater than or equal to 1×10¹⁸ atoms/cm³ and less than orequal to 1×10²⁰ atoms/cm³. In that case, the amount of nitrogen whichenters the semiconductor film 111 included in the transistor 103 can bereduced and the number of defects in the nitrogen-containing oxideinsulating film itself can be reduced.

As the insulating film 232, a nitride insulating film where the hydrogencontent is low may be provided. The nitride insulating film is asfollows, for example: the number of hydrogen molecules released from thenitride insulating film is less than 5.0×10²¹/cm³, preferably less than3.0×10²¹/cm³, more preferably less than 1.0×10²¹/cm³ when measured byTDS spectroscopy.

The insulating film 232 has a thickness large enough to prevent entry ofimpurities such as hydrogen and water from the outside. For example, thethickness can be greater than or equal to 50 nm and less than or equalto 200 nm, preferably greater than or equal to 50 nm and less than orequal to 150 nm, more preferably greater than or equal to 50 nm and lessthan or equal to 100 nm.

Further, a silicon oxide film formed by a CVD method using anorganosilane gas may be provided between the insulating film 231 and theinsulating film 232 or over the insulating film 232. The silicon oxidefilm has excellent step coverage and thus can be advantageously used asa protective insulating film of the transistor 103. The silicon oxidefilm can be formed to a thickness greater than or equal to 300 nm andless than or equal to 600 nm. As the organosilane gas, any of thefollowing silicon-containing compound can be used: tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) (chemical formula: Si(OC₂H₅)₄); tetramethylsilane(TMS) (chemical formula: Si(CH₃)₄); tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane(TMCTS); octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS); hexamethyldisilazane(HMDS); triethoxysilane (SiH(OC₂H₅)₃); trisdimethylaminosilane(SiH(N(CH₃)₂)₃); or the like.

When the silicon oxide film is provided between the insulating film 231and the insulating film 232 or over the insulating film 232, theplanarity of a surface of an element portion where the transistor andthe capacitor are to be provided can be increased. When the siliconoxide film is provided between the insulating film 231 and theinsulating film 232 and the nitride insulating film is used as theinsulating film 232, entry of impurities such as hydrogen and water intothe semiconductor film 111 and the light-transmitting conductive film119 from the outside can be further suppressed.

Further, when the silicon oxide film is provided over the insulatingfilm 232, the insulating film 232 and the silicon oxide film function asa dielectric film of the capacitor 205. The insulating film 232 isformed of a nitride insulating film, and a nitride insulating film tendsto have a higher dielectric constant and a larger internal stress thanan oxide insulating film such as a silicon oxide film. Therefore, in thecase where only the insulating film 232 is used as the dielectric filmof the capacitor 205 without using the silicon oxide film, when thethickness of the insulating film 232 is small, the capacitance value ofthe capacitor 205 is too large and it is difficult to increase the speedof writing an image signal to a pixel with low power consumption. Inreverse, when the thickness of the insulating film 232 is large,internal stress is too large and degradation of electricalcharacteristics, such as a change in threshold voltage of a transistor,might occur. Further, when the internal stress of the insulating film232 is too large, the insulating film 232 tends to be peeled off fromthe substrate 102, so that the yield is reduced. However, together withthe insulating film 232, the silicon oxide film which has a lowerdielectric constant than the insulating film 232 is used as thedielectric film of the capacitor of the pixel, whereby the dielectricconstant of the dielectric film can be controlled to a desired valuewithout increasing the thickness of the insulating film 232.

The pixel electrode 221 is formed using a light-transmitting conductivefilm. The light-transmitting conductive film is formed using alight-transmitting conductive material such as an indium tin oxide, anindium oxide containing a tungsten oxide, an indium zinc oxidecontaining a tungsten oxide, an indium oxide containing a titaniumoxide, an indium tin oxide containing a titanium oxide, an indium zincoxide, or an indium tin oxide to which a silicon oxide is added.

Next, the structure of the element portion on the substrate 150 isdescribed. The element portion includes a light-blocking film 152 whichis in contact with the substrate 150, an electrode (a counter electrode154) which is in contact with the light-blocking film 152 and isprovided so as to face the pixel electrode 221, and an insulating film156 which is in contact with the counter electrode 154 and functions asan alignment film.

The light-blocking film 152 prevents the transistor 103 from beingirradiated with light from a light source such as a backlight or theoutside. The light-blocking film 152 can be formed using a material suchas a metal or an organic resin including a pigment and may be providedin a region outside the pixel portion 100, such as over the scan linedriver circuit 104 and over the signal line driver circuit 106 (see FIG.1), as well as over the transistor 103 in the pixel 201.

Note that a coloring film which transmits light with a predeterminedwavelength may be provided between light-blocking films 152 adjacent toeach other. Further, an overcoat film may be provided between thecounter electrode 154, and the light-blocking films 152 and the coloringfilm.

The counter electrode 154 is formed using any of the light-transmittingconductive materials given as those used for the pixel electrode 221 asappropriate.

The liquid crystal element 108 includes the pixel electrode 221, thecounter electrode 154, and a liquid crystal layer 160. The liquidcrystal layer 160 is positioned between the insulating film 158 which isprovided in the element portion over the substrate 102 and functions asan alignment film and the insulating film 156 which is provided in theelement portion on the substrate 150 and functions as an alignment film.Further, the pixel electrode 221 overlaps with the counter electrode 154with the liquid crystal layer 160 positioned therebetween.

The insulating films 156 and 158 functioning as alignment films can beformed using a general-purpose material such as polyamide.

When an oxide insulating film that oxygen permeates and which has a lowinterface state density at the interface with the semiconductor film 111and the oxide insulating film is used as the insulating film 229 overthe semiconductor film 111 and an oxide insulating film which includesan oxygen excess region or an oxide insulating film in which the oxygencontent is higher than that in the stoichiometric composition is used asthe insulating film 231, oxygen can be easily supplied to the oxidesemiconductor film as the semiconductor film 111, the release of oxygenfrom the oxide semiconductor film can be prevented, and the oxygencontained in the insulating film 231 can enter the oxide semiconductorfilm to reduce oxygen vacancies in the oxide semiconductor film. As aresult, the transistor 103 becomes an enhancement-type transistor and isprevented from having normally-on characteristics, so that theelectrical characteristics and reliability of the semiconductor devicecan be improved and power consumption of the semiconductor device can bereduced.

The use of a nitride insulating film as the insulating film 232 over theinsulating film 231 can suppress entry of impurities such as hydrogenand water into the semiconductor film 111 and the light-transmittingconductive film 119 from the outside. Moreover, the use of a nitrideinsulating film with a low hydrogen content as the insulating film 232can minimize variations in electrical characteristics of the transistor.

Further, the capacitor 205 can be formed large (in a large area) in thepixel 201. Thus, the semiconductor device can have charge capacityincreased while improving the aperture ratio. As a result, thesemiconductor device can have an excellent display quality.

In addition, the two electrodes of the capacitor 205 have conductivity,and thus sufficient charge capacity can be obtained even when thecapacitor 205 has a small plane area. Note that an oxide semiconductorfilm transmits 80% to 90% of light; thus, when the area of thelight-transmitting conductive film 119 is reduced and a region where thelight-transmitting conductive film 119 is not formed is provided in thepixel 201, the transmittance with respect to light emitted from a lightsource such as a backlight can be increased. That is, it is possible toturn down the brightness of a light source such as a backlight, so thatpower consumption of the semiconductor device can be reduced.

<Manufacturing Method of Semiconductor Device>

Next, a formation method of the element portion over the substrate 102in the semiconductor device described above is described with referenceto FIGS. 6A and 6B, FIGS. 7A and 7B, and FIGS. 8A and 8B.

First, the scan line 107 and the capacitor line 115 are formed over thesubstrate 102. An insulating film 126 which is to be processed into thegate insulating film 127 later is formed so as to cover the scan line107 and the capacitor line 115. The semiconductor film 111 is formedover a portion of the insulating film 126 which overlaps with the scanline 107. A semiconductor film 118 is formed so as to overlap a regionwhere the pixel electrode 221 is to be formed later (see FIG. 6A).

The scan line 107 and the capacitor line 115 can be formed in such amanner that a conductive film is formed using any of the materialslisted above, a mask is formed over the conductive film, and processingis performed using the mask. The conductive film can be formed by any ofa variety of deposition methods such as an evaporation method, a CVDmethod, a sputtering method, and a spin coating method. Note that thethickness of the conductive film is not particularly limited and can bedetermined in consideration of formation time, desired resistivity, andthe like. As the mask, a resist mask formed through a firstphotolithography process can be used. The conductive film can beprocessed by one of or both dry etching and wet etching.

The insulating film 126 can be formed using a material which can be usedfor the gate insulating film 127, by any of a variety of depositionmethods such as a CVD method and a sputtering method.

In the case where a gallium oxide is used for the gate insulating film127, the insulating film 126 can be formed by a metal organic chemicalvapor deposition (MOCVD) method.

The semiconductor film 111 and the semiconductor film 118 can be formedin such a manner that an oxide semiconductor film is formed using any ofthe oxide semiconductors given above, a mask is formed over the oxidesemiconductor film, and processing is performed using the mask. Thus,the semiconductor film 111 and the semiconductor film 118 are formedusing the same metal element. The oxide semiconductor film can be formedby a sputtering method, a coating method, a pulsed laser depositionmethod, a laser ablation method, or the like. Alternatively, when aprinting method is employed, the semiconductor films 111 and 118 whichare separate from each other can be formed directly on the insulatingfilm 126. In the case where the oxide semiconductor film is formed by asputtering method, an RF power supply device, an AC power supply device,a DC power supply device, or the like can be used as appropriate as apower supply device for generating plasma. As a sputtering gas, a raregas (typically argon), an oxygen gas, or a mixed gas of a rare gas andoxygen is used as appropriate. In the case of using the mixed gas of arare gas and oxygen, the proportion of oxygen is preferably higher thanthat of the rare gas. Further, a target may be appropriately selected inaccordance with the composition of an oxide semiconductor film which isto be formed. As the mask, a resist mask formed through a secondphotolithography process can be used. The oxide semiconductor film canbe processed by one of or both of dry etching and wet etching. Etchingconditions (an etching gas, an etchant, etching time, temperature, andthe like) are appropriately set in accordance with a material so thatetching can be performed to form a desired shape.

Heat treatment is preferably performed after formation of thesemiconductor films 111 and 118 to dehydrate or dehydrogenate the oxidesemiconductor films. The temperature of the heat treatment is typicallyhigher than or equal to 150° C. and lower than the strain point of thesubstrate, preferably higher than or equal to 200° C. and lower than orequal to 450° C., further preferably higher than or equal to 300° C. andlower than or equal to 450° C. Note that the heat treatment may beperformed on the oxide semiconductor film which has not been processedinto the semiconductor films 111 and 118.

A heat treatment apparatus used in the heat treatment is not limited toan electric furnace; as the heat treatment apparatus, an apparatus whichheats an object using thermal conduction or thermal radiation given by amedium such as a heated gas may be used. For example, a rapid thermalannealing (RTA) apparatus such as a gas rapid thermal annealing (GRTA)apparatus or a lamp rapid thermal annealing (LRTA) apparatus can beused. An LRTA apparatus is an apparatus for heating an object to beprocessed by radiation of light (an electromagnetic wave) emitted from alamp such as a halogen lamp, a metal halide lamp, a xenon arc lamp, acarbon arc lamp, a high pressure sodium lamp, or a high pressure mercurylamp. A GRTA apparatus is an apparatus for heat treatment using ahigh-temperature gas.

The heat treatment may be performed in an atmosphere of nitrogen,oxygen, ultra-dry air (air in which the water content is less than orequal to 20 ppm, preferably less than or equal to 1 ppm, more preferablyless than or equal to 10 ppb), or a rare gas (e.g., argon or helium).The atmosphere of nitrogen, oxygen, ultra-dry air, or a rare gaspreferably does not contain hydrogen, water, and the like.Alternatively, heating may be performed in an inert gas atmospherefirst, and then in an oxygen atmosphere. The treatment time is 3 minutesto 24 hours.

In the case where a base insulating film is provided between thesubstrate 102, and the scan line 107, the capacitor line 115, and thegate insulating film 127, the base insulating film can be formed usingany of the following: silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, siliconnitride, silicon nitride oxide, gallium oxide, hafnium oxide, yttriumoxide, aluminum oxide, aluminum oxynitride, and the like. The use ofsilicon nitride, gallium oxide, hafnium oxide, yttrium oxide, aluminumoxide, or the like for the base insulating film leads to suppression ofdiffusion of impurities typified by an alkali metal, water, and hydrogeninto the semiconductor film 111 from the substrate 102. The baseinsulating film can be formed by a sputtering method or a CVD method.

After an opening 123 reaching the capacitor line 115 is formed in theinsulating film 126 to form the gate insulating film 127, the signalline 109 including the source electrode of the transistor 103, theconductive film 113 including the drain electrode of the transistor 103,and the conductive film 125 which electrically connects thesemiconductor film 118 and the capacitor line 115 are formed (see FIG.6B).

The opening 123 can be formed so as to expose part of a portion of theinsulating film 126 which overlaps with the capacitor line 115 in such amanner that a mask is formed through a third photolithography processand processing is performed using the mask. The formation of the maskand the processing can be performed in manners similar to those of thescan line 107 and the capacitor line 115.

The signal line 109, the conductive film 113, and the conductive film125 can be formed in such a manner that a conductive film is formedusing a material which can be used for the signal line 109, theconductive film 113, and the conductive film 125, a mask is formed overthe conductive film through a fourth photolithography process, andprocessing is performed using the mask. The formation of the mask andthe processing can be performed in a manner similar to that of the scanline 107 and the capacitor line 115.

Then, an insulating film 128 is formed over the semiconductor film 111,the semiconductor film 118, the signal line 109, the conductive film113, the conductive film 125, and the gate insulating film 127, and aninsulating film 130 is formed over the insulating film 128 (see FIG.7A). The insulating film 128 and the insulating film 130 are preferablyformed successively, in which case entry of impurities into eachinterface can be suppressed.

The insulating film 128 can be formed using a material which can be usedfor the insulating film 229, by any of a variety of deposition methodssuch as a CVD method and a sputtering method. The insulating film 130can be formed using a material which can be used for the insulating film231.

In the case where an oxide insulating film which has a low interfacestate density at the interface with the semiconductor film 111 and theoxide insulating film is used as the insulating film 229, the insulatingfilm 128 can be formed under the following formation conditions. Here,as the oxide insulating film, a silicon oxide film or a siliconoxynitride film is formed. As for the formation conditions, thesubstrate placed in a treatment chamber of a plasma CVD apparatus, whichis vacuum-evacuated, is held at a temperature higher than or equal to180° C. and lower than or equal to 400° C., preferably higher than orequal to 200° C. and lower than or equal to 370° C., a deposition gascontaining silicon and an oxidizing gas are introduced as a source gasinto the treatment chamber, the pressure in the treatment chamber isgreater than or equal to 20 Pa and less than or equal to 250 Pa,preferably greater than or equal to 40 Pa and less than or equal to 200Pa, and high-frequency power is supplied to an electrode provided in thetreatment chamber.

Typical examples of the deposition gas containing silicon are silane,disilane, trisilane, and silane fluoride. Examples of the oxidizing gasare oxygen, ozone, dinitrogen monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide.

By setting the ratio of the amount of the oxidizing gas to the amount ofthe deposition gas containing silicon to 100 or higher, the hydrogencontent in the insulating film 128 (the insulating film 229) can bereduced and dangling bonds in the insulating film 128 (the insulatingfilm 229) can be reduced. Oxygen released from the insulating film 130(the insulating film 231) is captured by the dangling bonds in theinsulating film 128 (the insulating film 229) in some cases; thus, inthe case where the dangling bonds in the insulating film 128 (theinsulating film 229) are reduced, oxygen in the insulating film 130 (theinsulating film 231) can enter the semiconductor film 111 efficiently toreduce the oxygen vacancies in the oxide semiconductor film as thesemiconductor film 111. As a result, the amount of hydrogen which entersthe oxide semiconductor film can be reduced and oxygen vacancies in theoxide semiconductor film can be reduced.

In the case where the above oxide insulating film which includes anoxygen excess region or the above oxide insulating film in which theoxygen content is higher than that in the stoichiometric composition isused as the insulating film 231, the insulating film 130 can be formedunder the following formation conditions. Here, as the oxide insulatingfilm, a silicon oxide film or a silicon oxynitride film is formed. Asfor the formation conditions, the substrate placed in a treatmentchamber of a plasma CVD apparatus, which is vacuum-evacuated, is held ata temperature higher than or equal to 180° C. and lower than or equal to260° C., preferably higher than or equal to 180° C. and lower than orequal to 230° C., a source gas is introduced into the treatment chamber,the pressure in the treatment chamber is greater than or equal to 100 Paand less than or equal to 250 Pa, preferably greater than or equal to100 Pa and less than or equal to 200 Pa, and high-frequency power thatis higher than or equal to 0.17 W/cm² and lower than or equal to 0.5W/cm², preferably, higher than or equal to 0.25 W/cm² and lower than orequal to 0.35 W/cm² is supplied to an electrode provided in thetreatment chamber.

As the source gas of the insulating film 130, a source gas which can beused for the insulating film 128 can be used.

As for the formation conditions of the insulating film 130, thehigh-frequency power having the above power density is supplied to thetreatment chamber having the above pressure, whereby the decompositionefficiency of the source gas in plasma is increased, oxygen radicals areincreased, and oxidation of the source gas proceeds; therefore, theoxygen content in the insulating film 130 is higher than that in thestoichiometric composition. On the other hand, in the film formed at asubstrate temperature within the above temperature range, the bondbetween silicon and oxygen is weak, and accordingly, part of oxygen inthe film is released by heat treatment in a later step. Thus, it ispossible to form an oxide insulating film in which the oxygen content ishigher than that in the stoichiometric composition and from which partof oxygen is released by heating. The insulating film 128 is providedover the semiconductor film 111. Accordingly, in the process for formingthe insulating film 130, the insulating film 128 serves as a protectivefilm of the semiconductor film 111. Thus, even when the insulating film130 is formed using the high-frequency power having a high powerdensity, damage to the semiconductor film 111 is not significant.

By increasing the thickness of the insulating film 130, a larger amountof oxygen is released by heating; thus, the insulating film 130 ispreferably formed thicker than the insulating film 128. Since theinsulating film 128 is provided, favorable coverage can be achieved evenwhen the insulating film 130 is formed thick.

It is preferable that heat treatment be performed at least afterformation of the insulating film 130 so that excess oxygen contained inthe insulating film 128 or the insulating film 130 enters the oxidesemiconductor film 111 to reduce oxygen vacancies in the oxidesemiconductor film. Note that the heat treatment can be appropriatelyperformed according to the details of heat treatment for dehydration ordehydrogenation of the semiconductor film 111 and the light-transmittingconductive film 119.

Next, a mask is formed over a region of the insulating film 130 whichoverlaps with at least the light-transmitting conductive film 119 andprocessing is performed using the mask, so that insulating films 228 and230 having an opening portion are formed. As the mask having the openingportion where the light-transmitting conductive film 119 is exposed, aresist mask formed through a fifth photolithography process can be used,and the processing can be performed by one of or both dry etching andwet etching. In the case where the opening portion is formed by dryetching, the oxide semiconductor film is exposed to plasma and isdamaged, so that defects, typically, oxygen vacancies are formed in theoxide semiconductor film. Accordingly, the light-transmitting conductivefilm 119 having low resistance is formed. Then, an insulating film 233is formed over the insulating film 228, the insulating film 230, theconductive film 125, and the light-transmitting conductive film 119 (seeFIG. 7B).

The insulating film 233 can be formed using a material which can be usedfor the insulating film 232. The insulating film 233 can be formed by asputtering method, a CVD method, or the like.

In the case where a nitride insulating film with a low hydrogen contentis used as the insulating film 233, the insulating film 233 can beformed under the following formation conditions. Here, as the nitrideinsulating film, a silicon nitride film is formed. As for the formationconditions, the substrate placed in a treatment chamber of a plasma CVDapparatus, which is vacuum-evacuated, is held at a temperature higherthan or equal to 80° C. and lower than or equal to 400° C., preferablyhigher than or equal to 200° C. and lower than or equal to 370° C., asource gas is introduced into the treatment chamber, the pressure in thetreatment chamber is greater than or equal to 100 Pa and less than orequal to 250 Pa, preferably greater than or equal to 100 Pa and lessthan or equal to 200 Pa, and high-frequency power is supplied to anelectrode provided in the treatment chamber.

As the source gas of the insulating film 233, a deposition gascontaining silicon, a nitrogen gas, and an ammonia gas are preferablyused. Typical examples of the deposition gas containing silicon aresilane, disilane, trisilane, and silane fluoride. Further, the flowratio of nitrogen to ammonia is preferably higher than or equal to 5 andlower than or equal to 50, more preferably higher than or equal to 10and lower than or equal to 50. The use of ammonia as the source gasfacilitates decomposition of nitrogen and the deposition gas containingsilicon. This is because ammonia is dissociated by plasma energy or heatenergy, and energy generated by the dissociation contributes todecomposition of a bond of the deposition gas molecules containingsilicon and a bond of nitrogen molecules. Under the above conditions, asilicon nitride film which has a low hydrogen content and can suppressentry of impurities such as hydrogen and water from the outside can beformed.

When the insulating film 233 is formed using a nitride insulating filmby a plasma CVD method or a sputtering method, the semiconductor film118 is exposed to plasma and oxygen vacancies are generated in thesemiconductor film 118. Moreover, when the semiconductor film 118 is incontact with the insulating film 233 formed using a nitride insulatingfilm, nitrogen and/or hydrogen move/moves from the insulating film 233to the semiconductor film 118. Due to entry of hydrogen contained in theinsulating film 233 into an oxygen vacancy, an electron serving as acarrier is generated. Accordingly, the conductivity of the semiconductorfilm 118 is increased, so that the light-transmitting conductive film119 which is formed of a metal oxide film having electrical conductivitycharacteristic of a conductor is obtained.

In addition, heat treatment may be performed in the state where theinsulating film 233 is in contact with the light-transmitting conductivefilm 119 at the time after the formation of the insulating film 233, forexample. As a result, the conductivity of the light-transmittingconductive film 119 can be further increased.

Note that depending on a travel distance of nitrogen and/or hydrogenfrom the insulating film 233, part of a region of the semiconductor film118 which overlaps with the conductive film 125 remains as an oxidesemiconductor in some cases.

A silicon oxide film may be formed between the insulating film 130 andthe insulating film 233 by a CVD method using an organosilane gas.

In the case where a silicon oxide film is formed between the insulatingfilm 130 and the insulating film 233 by a CVD method using anorganosilane gas, an oxide insulating film in which the oxygen contentis higher than that in the stoichiometric composition and from whichpart of oxygen is released by heating is formed as the insulating film130 and then heat treatment is performed at 350° C. so that excessoxygen contained in the insulating film 130 enters the semiconductorfilm 111. After the silicon oxide film is formed by a CVD method usingany of the organosilane gases given above at a substrate temperature of350° C., a nitride insulating film with a low hydrogen content is formedas the insulating film 233 at a substrate temperature of 350° C.

Then, after a mask is formed over portions of the insulating films 228,230, and 233 which overlap the conductive film 113 through a sixthphotolithography process, the insulating films 228, 230, and 233 areetched to form the insulating films 229, 231, and 232 having the opening117 reaching the conductive film 113 (see FIG. 8A). The opening 117 canbe formed in a manner similar to that of the opening 123.

Finally, the pixel electrode 221 is formed, so that the element portionover the substrate 102 can be formed (see FIG. 8B). The pixel electrode221 is formed in such a manner that a conductive film is formed usingany of the materials listed above in contact with the conductive film113 through the opening 117, a mask is formed over the conductive filmthrough a seventh photolithography process, and processing is performedusing the mask. The formation of the mask and the processing can beperformed in manners similar to those of the scan line 107 and thecapacitor line 115.

Modification Example 1

In the semiconductor device of one embodiment of the present invention,the structure of the capacitor can be changed as appropriate. A specificexample of the structure is described with reference to FIG. 9. Here,only a capacitor 245 which is different from the capacitor 205 describedwith reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is described.

A gate insulating film 227 has a stacked-layer structure of aninsulating film 225 formed using a nitride insulating film and aninsulating film 226 formed using an oxide insulating film and only theinsulating film 225 is provided in a region where at least thelight-transmitting conductive film 119 is provided. With such astructure, the nitride insulating film that is the insulating film 225is in contact with a bottom surface of the light-transmitting conductivefilm 119; therefore, the semiconductor film which is formed over theinsulating film 225 at the same time as the semiconductor film 111 canbe the light-transmitting conductive film 119 that is formed of a metaloxide film having electrical conductivity characteristic of a conductor(see FIG. 9). In this case, a dielectric film of the capacitor 245 isthe insulating films 229, 231, and 232. As the insulating films 225 and226, insulating films which can be used as the gate insulating film 127can be used as appropriate, and the insulating film 225 may be formedusing an insulating film similar to the insulating film 232. Thestructure illustrated in FIG. 9 can prevent a reduction in the thicknessof the light-transmitting conductive film 119 due to etching of theinsulating films 129 and 131, so that the yield is increased as comparedwith the semiconductor device illustrated in FIG. 3.

Note that in the structure illustrated in FIG. 9, the top surface of thelight-transmitting conductive film 119 may be in contact with theinsulating film 132. That is, portions of the insulating films 129 and131 in FIG. 9 which are in contact with the light-transmittingconductive film 119 may be removed. In that case, a dielectric film ofthe capacitor 245 is the insulating film 132. When the top and bottomsurfaces of the light-transmitting conductive film 119 are in contactwith nitride insulating films, the light-transmitting conductive film119 can have a higher conductivity than in the case where only one ofthe top and bottom surfaces is in contact with a nitride insulatingfilm.

Modification Example 2

In the semiconductor device of one embodiment of the present invention,connection of the capacitor line and the light-transmitting conductivefilm serving as an electrode of the capacitor can be changed asappropriate. For example, to improve the aperture ratio, a structurewhere the light-transmitting conductive film is in direct contact withthe capacitor line without the conductive film positioned therebetweencan be employed. A specific example of the structure is described withreference to FIG. 10. Here, only a capacitor 145 which is different fromthe capacitor 205 described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 isdescribed. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the semiconductordevice.

In the pixel, the light-transmitting conductive film 119 functioning asthe other electrode of the capacitor 145 is in direct contact with thecapacitor line 115 through an opening 143. Unlike in the capacitor 205in FIG. 3, the light-transmitting conductive film 119 is in directcontact with the capacitor line 115 without the conductive film 125positioned therebetween and the conductive film 125 that is alight-blocking film is not formed, so that a higher aperture ratio of apixel 141 can be achieved.

Modification Example 3

In the semiconductor device of one embodiment of the present invention,the structures of the light-transmitting conductive film included in thecapacitor and the capacitor line can be changed as appropriate. Aspecific example of the structure is described with reference to FIG.11. Note that only a light-transmitting conductive film 178 and acapacitor line 176, which are different from the light-transmittingconductive film 119 and the capacitor line 115 described in FIG. 2 andFIG. 3, are described here.

FIG. 11 is a top view of a pixel 172 where the capacitor line 176 isprovided to extend in a direction parallel to the signal line 109. Thesignal line 109 and the capacitor line 176 are electrically connected tothe signal line driver circuit 106 (see FIG. 1A).

Like in the pixel 172 illustrated in FIG. 11, a shape in which a sideparallel to the scan line 107 is longer than a side parallel to thesignal line 109 may be employed and the capacitor line 176 may extend ina direction parallel to the signal line 109.

A capacitor 174 is connected to the capacitor line 176 extending in thedirection parallel to the signal line 109. The capacitor 174 includes alight-transmitting oxide semiconductor film 178, the light-transmittingpixel electrode 221, and, as a dielectric film, a light-transmittinginsulating film (not illustrated in FIG. 11) which is provided over thetransistor 103. That is, the capacitor 174 has a light-transmittingproperty.

The capacitor line 176 can be formed concurrently with the signal line109 and the conductive film 113. When the capacitor line 176 is providedin contact with the light-transmitting conductive film 178, an areawhere the light-transmitting conductive film 178 and the capacitor line176 are in contact with each other can be increased. Further, the pixel172 has a shape in which a side parallel to the signal line 109 isshorter than a side parallel to the scan line 107; thus, an area wherethe pixel electrode 121 overlaps with the capacitor line 176 can besmall, resulting in a higher aperture ratio.

In FIG. 3, since the capacitor line 115 and the scan line 107 are formedat the same time, it is necessary to perform a photolithography processin order to provide an opening portion in the gate insulating film 127for connection between the capacitor line 115 and the light-transmittingconductive film 119. However, as illustrated in FIG. 11, by forming thesignal line 109 and the capacitor line 176 at the same time, thelight-transmitting conductive film 119 and the capacitor line 176 can beconnected to each other directly. As a result, the number ofphotolithography processes can be reduced. That is, the transistor, thepixel electrode connected to the transistor, and the capacitor can bemanufactured by six photolithography processes.

Modification Example 4

In the semiconductor device that is one embodiment of the presentinvention, the electrode included in the capacitor and the capacitorline can be formed using a light-transmitting conductive film. Aspecific example thereof is described using FIG. 12. Here, only alight-transmitting conductive film 198 which is different from thelight-transmitting conductive film 119 and the capacitor line 115described with reference to FIG. 2 is described. FIG. 12 is a top viewof a pixel 196 where the light-transmitting conductive film 198 servingas one electrode of a capacitor 197 and the capacitor line is providedin the pixel 196. The light-transmitting conductive film 198 has aregion which extends in a direction parallel to the signal line 109 andthe region functions as the capacitor line. In the light-transmittingconductive film 198, a region which overlaps with the pixel electrode221 functions as an electrode of the capacitor 197. Note that thelight-transmitting conductive film 198 can be formed in a manner similarto that of the light-transmitting conductive film 119 illustrated inFIG. 2.

In the case where a continuous film is provided as thelight-transmitting conductive film 198 for the pixels 196 in one row,the light-transmitting conductive film 198 overlaps with the scan lines107. For this reason, the light-transmitting conductive film 198 doesnot function as the capacitor line and one electrode of the capacitor197 due to an effect of a change in the potential of the scan line 107in some cases. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 12, the light-transmittingconductive films 198 are preferably separated from each other betweenthe pixels 196, and the separated light-transmitting conductive filmsare electrically connected to each other through a conductive film 199which can be formed by utilizing the process for forming the signal line109 and the conductive film 113. With the above structure, a region ofthe light-transmitting conductive film 198 which is not connected to theconductive film 199 overlaps with the pixel electrode 221, whereby theresistance of the light-transmitting conductive film 198 in the regioncan be low and thus the light-transmitting conductive film 198 functionsas the capacitor line and one electrode of the capacitor 197.

Although not illustrated, one light-transmitting conductive film can beprovided as the light-transmitting conductive film 198 for the pixels196 so as to overlap with the scan lines 107 in the case where a regionof the light-transmitting conductive film 198 which overlaps with thescan line 107 is not influenced by a change in the potential of the scanline 107. In other words, the light-transmitting conductive film can beprovided continuously in all of the pixels 196 in one row without beingseparated.

In FIG. 12, a region of the light-transmitting conductive film 198 whichfunctions as the capacitor line extends in the direction parallel to thesignal line 109; however, the region which functions as the capacitorline may extend in a direction parallel to the scan line 107. In thecase where the region of the light-transmitting conductive film 198which functions as the capacitor line extends in the direction parallelto the scan line 107, it is necessary that the semiconductor film 111and the light-transmitting conductive film 198 be electrically insulatedfrom the signal line 109 and the conductive film 113 by providing aninsulating film between the semiconductor film 111 and thelight-transmitting conductive film 198, and the signal line 109 and theconductive film 113, in the transistor 103 and the capacitor 197.

According to the above description, when a light-transmitting conductivefilm is provided for an electrode of a capacitor provided in a pixel anda capacitor line as in the pixel 196, the pixel can have a higheraperture ratio.

Modification Example 5

In the semiconductor device of one embodiment of the present invention,the structure of the capacitor line can be changed as appropriate. Thisstructure is described with reference to FIG. 13. In FIG. 13, unlike thecapacitor line 115 described with reference to FIG. 2, a capacitor lineis located between adjacent two pixels.

FIG. 13 illustrates a structure where the capacitor line is providedbetween the adjacent pixels in a direction in which a signal line 409extends. Note that a structure where the capacitor line is providedbetween the adjacent pixels in a direction in which a scan line 437extends may be employed.

FIG. 13 is a top view of a pixel 401_1 and a pixel 401_2 adjacent toeach other in the direction in which the signal line 409 extends.

A scan line 407_1 and a scan line 4072 are provided so as to extend inparallel to each other in the direction substantially perpendicular tothe signal line 409. A capacitor line 415 is provided between the scanlines 407_1 and 4072 so as to be parallel to the scan lines 407_1 and407_2. The capacitor line 415 is connected to a capacitor 405_1 providedin the pixel 401_1 and a capacitor 4052 provided in the pixel 401_2. Topsurface shape and the positions of components of the pixel 401_1 andthose of the pixel 4012 are symmetric with respect to the capacitor line415.

The pixel 401_1 is provided with a transistor 403_1, a pixel electrode421_1 connected to the transistor 403_1, and the capacitor 405_1.

The transistor 403_1 is provided in a region where the scan line 407_1and the signal line 409 cross each other. The transistor 403_1 includesat least a semiconductor film 411_1 including a channel formationregion, a gate electrode, a gate insulating film (not illustrated inFIG. 13), a source electrode, and a drain electrode. A region of thescan line 407_1 which overlaps with the semiconductor film 411_1functions as the gate electrode of the transistor 403_1. A region of thesignal line 409 which overlaps with the semiconductor film 411_1functions as the source electrode of the transistor 403_1. A region ofthe conductive film 413_1 which overlaps with the semiconductor film411_1 functions as the drain electrode of the transistor 403_1. Theconductive film 413_2 and the pixel electrode 421_1 are connected toeach other through an opening 417_1.

The capacitor 405_1 is electrically connected to the capacitor line 415through the conductive film 425 provided in and over the opening 423.The capacitor 405_1 includes a light-transmitting conductive film 419_1,the light-transmitting pixel electrode 421_1, and, as a dielectric film,a light-transmitting insulating film (not illustrated in FIG. 13) whichis provided over the transistor 403_1. That is, the capacitor 405_1 hasa light-transmitting property.

The pixel 4012 is provided with a transistor 4032, a pixel electrode421_2 connected to the transistor 4032, and a capacitor 4052.

The transistor 4032 is provided in a region where the scan line 407_2and the signal line 409 cross each other. The transistor 4032 includesat least a semiconductor film 4112 including a channel formation region,a gate electrode, a gate insulating film (not illustrated in FIG. 13), asource electrode, and a drain electrode. A region of the scan line 4072which overlaps with the semiconductor film 411_2 functions as the gateelectrode of the transistor 4032. A region of the signal line 409 whichoverlaps with the semiconductor film 411_2 functions as the sourceelectrode of the transistor 4032. A region of the conductive film 413_2which overlaps with the semiconductor film 411_2 functions as the drainelectrode of the transistor 403_2. The conductive film 413_2 and thepixel electrode 421_2 are connected to each other through an opening417_2.

The capacitor 4052 is electrically connected to the capacitor line 415through the conductive film 425 provided in and over the opening 423similarly to the capacitor 405_1. The capacitor 4052 includes alight-transmitting conductive film 4192, the light-transmitting pixelelectrode 4212, and, as a dielectric film, a light-transmittinginsulating film (not illustrated in FIG. 13) which is included in thetransistor 403_2. That is, the capacitor 4052 has a light-transmittingproperty.

Cross-sectional structures of the transistors 403_1 and 4032 and thecapacitors 405_1 and 4052 are similar to those of the transistor 103 andthe capacitor 205 illustrated in FIG. 3 and thus descriptions thereofare omitted here.

In a structure seen from above, a capacitor line is provided betweenadjacent two pixels so that capacitors included in the pixels and thecapacitor line are connected, whereby the number of capacitor lines canbe reduced. As a result, the aperture ratio of the pixel can be high ascompared with the case of a structure where each pixel is provided witha capacitor line.

Modification Example 6

In the semiconductor device of one embodiment of the present invention,the shape of a transistor provided in a pixel is not limited to theshape of the transistor illustrated in FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 11, FIG. 12,and FIG. 13 and can be changed as appropriate. For example, a transistormay have a structure in which a source electrode included in the signalline 109 may have a U shape (or a C shape, a square-bracket-like shape,or a horseshoe shape) which surrounds the conductive film including adrain electrode. With such a shape, an enough channel width can beensured even when the area of the transistor is small, and accordingly,the amount of drain current flowing at the time of conduction of thetransistor (also referred to as an on-state current) can be increased.

Modification Example 7

Although the transistor where the oxide semiconductor film is providedbetween the signal line 109 including the gate insulating film and thesource electrode and the conductive film 113 including the drainelectrode is used above, instead of the transistor, a transistor inwhich a semiconductor film is provided between the insulating film 229,and a signal line including a source electrode and a conductive filmincluding a drain electrode can be used.

Modification Example 8

Although a channel-etched transistor is described above, achannel-protective transistor can be used instead of the channel-etchedtransistor. When the channel protective film is provided, a surface ofthe semiconductor film 111 is not exposed to an etchant or an etchinggas used in a formation process of the signal line and the conductivefilm, so that impurities between the semiconductor film 111 and thechannel protective film can be reduced. Accordingly, a leakage currentflowing between the source electrode and the drain electrode of thetransistor can be reduced.

Modification Example 9

Although the transistor including one gate electrode is described above,a transistor which includes two gate electrodes that face each otherwith the semiconductor film 111 positioned therebetween can be usedalternatively.

The transistor is the one in which a conductive film is provided overthe insulating film 232 of the transistor 103 described in thisembodiment. The conductive film overlaps with at least a channelformation region of the semiconductor film 111. It is preferable thatthe conductive film be provided in a position overlapping with thechannel formation region of the semiconductor film 111 so that thepotential of the conductive film is equal to the minimum potential of avideo signal input to the signal line 109. In that case, a currentflowing between the source electrode and the drain electrode in thesurface of the semiconductor film 111 facing the conductive film can becontrolled, and variations in the electrical characteristics of thetransistors can be reduced. In addition, the provision of the conductivefilm leads to a reduction in effect of a change in ambient electricfield on the semiconductor film 111; therefore, the reliability of thetransistor can be improved.

The conductive film provided over the insulating film 232 can be formedas appropriate using a material and a manufacturing method similar tothose of the scan line 107, the signal line 109, the pixel electrode121, and the like.

As described above, a metal oxide having electrical characteristics of aconductor and which is obtained by providing a nitride insulating filmso as to be in contact with the semiconductor film formed in the sameformation process as the semiconductor film included in the transistoris used as a light-transmitting electrode of the capacitor. As a result,a semiconductor device in which the aperture ratio can be increased to,typically, 50% or higher, preferably 55% or higher, further preferably60% or higher, and which includes the capacitor having increased chargecapacity can be manufactured. Accordingly, the semiconductor device canhave excellent display quality.

Further, oxygen vacancies and impurities such as hydrogen in the oxidesemiconductor film, which is a semiconductor film included in thetransistor, are reduced, so that the semiconductor device of oneembodiment of the present invention has favorable electricalcharacteristics and consumes less power.

Note that the structures and the like described in this embodiment canbe combined as appropriate with any of the structures and the likedescribed in the other embodiments and examples.

Modification Example 10

In the method for manufacturing the transistor, as the method forforming the light-transmitting conductive film 119, a mask which coversthe semiconductor film 111 and includes an opening through which thesemiconductor film 118 is exposed is formed after the step of FIG. 6B.Next, the semiconductor film 118 is exposed to a plasma generated in anatmosphere of a rare gas, a mixed gas of hydrogen and a rare gas, amixed gas of a rare gas and ammonia, an ammonia gas, a nitrogen gas, orthe like, whereby the light-transmitting conductive film 119 can beformed without the step of forming the nitride insulating film over thesemiconductor film 118 as illustrated in FIG. 7B.

Alternatively, in the method for manufacturing a transistor, as themethod for forming the light-transmitting conductive film 119, a maskwhich covers the semiconductor film 111 and includes an opening throughwhich the semiconductor film 118 is exposed is formed after the step ofFIG. 7A. Then, through the insulating film 130, the semiconductor film118 is exposed to a plasma generated in an atmosphere of a rare gas, amixed gas of hydrogen and a rare gas, a mixed gas of a rare gas andammonia, an ammonia gas, a nitrogen gas, or the like, whereby thelight-transmitting conductive film 119 can be formed without the step offorming the nitride insulating film over the semiconductor film 118 asillustrated in FIG. 7B.

When the oxide semiconductor film 118 is exposed to plasma, the oxidesemiconductor film formed as the semiconductor film 118 is damaged anddefects, typically oxygen vacancies are generated in the oxidesemiconductor film. As a result, the light-transmitting conductive film119 having reduced resistivity is formed

Embodiment 2

In this embodiment, a semiconductor device of one embodiment of thepresent invention which has a structure different from that in the aboveembodiment will be described with reference to drawings. A semiconductordevice of one embodiment of the present invention will be describedtaking a liquid crystal display device as an example in this embodiment.In the semiconductor device described in this embodiment, alight-transmitting conductive film included in a capacitor is differentfrom that in the capacitor in the above embodiment. The above embodimentcan be referred to for components in the semiconductor device in thisembodiment which are similar to those of the semiconductor device in theabove embodiment.

<The Structure of the Semiconductor Device>

A specific example of the structure of a pixel 301 provided in a pixelportion of the liquid crystal display device described in thisembodiment is described. FIG. 14 is a top view of the pixel 301. Thepixel 301 illustrated in FIG. 14 includes a capacitor 305, and thecapacitor 305 is provided in a region of the pixel 301 which issurrounded by the capacitor line 115 and the signal line 109. Thecapacitor 305 is electrically connected to the capacitor line 115through the conductive film 125 provided in and over the opening 123.The capacitor 305 includes a light-transmitting conductive film 319, thelight-transmitting pixel electrode 221, and, as a dielectric film, aninsulating film (not illustrated in FIG. 14) which is provided over thetransistor 103. That is, the capacitor 305 transmits light.

As an electrode of the capacitor, the light-transmitting conductive film319 is used. That is to say, the capacitor 305 can be formed large(covers a large area) in the pixel 301. Therefore, the semiconductordevice in which the aperture ratio can be increased to, typically, 50%or higher, preferably 55% or higher, further preferably 60% or higherand includes the capacitor with increased charge capacity can beobtained.

Next, FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along dashed-dotted linesA1-A2 and B1-B2 in FIG. 14.

A cross-sectional structure of the pixel 301 of a liquid crystal displaydevice is as follows. The scan line 107 including the gate electrode ofthe transistor 103 is provided over the substrate 102. The gateinsulating film 127 is provided over the scan line 107. Thesemiconductor film 111 is provided over a region of the gate insulatingfilm 127 which overlaps with the scan line 107, and thelight-transmitting conductive film 319 is provided over the gateinsulating film 127. The signal line 109 including a source electrode ofthe transistor 103 and the conductive film 113 including a drainelectrode of the transistor 103 are provided over the semiconductor film111 and the gate insulating film 127. The conductive film 125 whichconnects the light-transmitting conductive film 319 and the capacitorline 115 is provided over the gate insulating film 127. The insulatingfilm 129, the insulating film 131, and the insulating film 132functioning as protective insulating films of the transistor 103 areprovided over the gate insulating film 127, the signal line 109, thesemiconductor film 111, the conductive film 113, the conductive film125, and the light-transmitting conductive film 319. The opening 117reaching the conductive film 113 is formed in the insulating film 129,the insulating film 131, and the insulating film 132, and the pixelelectrode 221 is provided in the opening 117 and over the insulatingfilm 132. Note that a base insulating film may be provided between thesubstrate 102, and the scan line 107 and the gate insulating film 127.

In the capacitor 305 in this structure, one of a pair of electrodes isthe pixel electrode 121, the other of the pair of electrodes is thelight-transmitting conductive film 319, and dielectric films providedbetween the pair of electrodes are the insulating films 129, 131, and132.

The light-transmitting conductive film 319 is a metal oxide film havingcharacteristics of a conductor, which is obtained by adding an element(dopant) for increasing conductivity to a semiconductor film formed atthe same time as the semiconductor film 111. That is, thelight-transmitting conductive film 319 contains a metal element of anoxide semiconductor that is contained in the semiconductor film 111 andcontains a dopant. The dopant is one or more selected from boron,nitrogen, fluorine, aluminum, phosphorus, arsenic, indium, tin,antimony, and a rare gas element. The concentration of the dopantcontained in the light-transmitting conductive film 319 is preferablyhigher than or equal to 1×10¹⁹ atoms/cm³ and lower than or equal to1×10²² atoms/cm³. Accordingly, the conductivity of thelight-transmitting conductive film 319 can be greater than or equal to10 S/cm and less than or equal to 1000 S/cm, preferably greater than orequal to 100 S/cm and less than or equal to 1000 S/cm, so that thelight-transmitting conductive film 319 can sufficiently function as theelectrode of the capacitor 305.

<Method for Manufacturing Semiconductor Device>

Next, a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device of thisembodiment is described with reference to FIGS. 16A and 16B and FIGS.17A and 17B.

First, the scan line 107 and the capacitor line 115 are formed over thesubstrate 102. The insulating film 126 which is to be processed into thegate insulating film 127 is formed over the substrate 102, the scan line107, and the capacitor line. The semiconductor film 111 and thesemiconductor film 118 are formed over the insulating film 126 (see FIG.16A). The above steps can be performed with reference to Embodiment 1.

After that, the semiconductor film 118 is doped with a dopant to formthe light-transmitting conductive film 319, the opening 123 reaching thecapacitor line 115 is formed in the insulating film 126 to form the gateinsulating film 127, and then the signal line 109 including the sourceelectrode of the transistor 103, the conductive film 113 including thedrain electrode of the transistor 103, and the conductive film 125 whichelectrically connects the light-transmitting conductive film 319 and thecapacitor line 115 are formed (see FIG. 16B).

A method for doping the semiconductor film 118 with a dopant is asfollows: a mask is provided in a region except the semiconductor film118 and the semiconductor film 118 is doped with one or more dopantsselected from hydrogen, boron, nitrogen, fluorine, aluminum, phosphorus,arsenic, indium, tin, antimony, and a rare gas element by an ionimplantation method, an ion doping method, or the like. Alternatively,the semiconductor film 118 may be exposed to plasma containing thedopant to dope the semiconductor film 118 with the dopant, instead ofemploying an ion implantation method or an ion doping method. Note thatheat treatment may be performed after the semiconductor film 118 isdoped with the dopant. The heat treatment can be appropriately performedaccording to the details of heat treatment for dehydration ordehydrogenation of the semiconductor film 111 and the light-transmittingconductive film 319.

Note that the step of adding the dopant may be performed after thesignal line 109, the conductive film 113, and the conductive film 125are formed. At this time, the dopant is not added to regions of thelight-transmitting conductive film 319 which are in contact with thesignal line 109, the conductive film 113, and the conductive film 125.

Then, the insulating film 128 is formed over the gate insulating film127, the signal line 109, the semiconductor film 111, the conductivefilm 113, the conductive film 125, and the light-transmitting conductivefilm 319. The insulating film 130 is formed over the insulating film128, and an insulating film 133 is formed over the insulating film 130(see FIG. 17A). The above steps can be performed with reference toEmbodiment 1.

Then, the opening 117 reaching the conductive film 113 is formed overthe insulating film 128, the insulating film 130, and the insulatingfilm 133 to form the insulating film 129, the insulating film 131, andthe insulating film 132 (see FIG. 17B). The pixel electrode 221 incontact with the conductive film 113 through the opening 117 is formed(see FIG. 15). The above steps can also be performed with reference toEmbodiment 1.

Through the above steps, the semiconductor device of this embodiment canbe manufactured.

As described above, a metal oxide having electrical characteristics of aconductor and which is obtained by adding a dopant to the semiconductorfilm formed in the same formation process as the semiconductor filmincluded in the transistor is used as a light-transmitting electrode ofthe capacitor. As a result, a semiconductor device which include thecapacitor whose charge capacity is increased while improving theaperture ratio can be manufactured. Accordingly, the semiconductordevice can have excellent display quality.

In addition, the pair of electrodes of the capacitor 305 hasconductivity, and thus sufficient charge capacity can be obtained evenwhen the capacitor 305 has a small plane area. Note that an oxidesemiconductor film transmits 80% to 90% of light; thus, when the area ofthe light-transmitting conductive film 319 is reduced and a region wherethe light-transmitting conductive film 319 is not formed is provided inthe pixel 301, the transmittance with respect to light emitted from alight source such as a backlight can be increased. That is, it ispossible to turn down the brightness of a light source such as abacklight, so that power consumption of the semiconductor device can bereduced.

In addition, oxygen vacancies and impurities such as hydrogen arereduced in the oxide semiconductor film that is the semiconductor filmincluded in the transistor. As a result, the transistor can be preventedfrom having normally-on characteristics, so that the electricalcharacteristics and reliability of the semiconductor device can beimproved and power consumption of the semiconductor device can bereduced.

Note that the structures and the like described in this embodiment canbe combined as appropriate with any of the structures and modificationexamples thereof described in the other embodiments and examples.

Embodiment 3

In this embodiment, a method for forming a light-transmitting conductivefilm, which is different from those of Embodiments 1 and 2, is describedwith reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B.

In this embodiment, a metal oxide having conductivity is obtained byincreasing the conductivity of an oxide semiconductor film in such amanner that the semiconductor film is irradiated with an electromagneticwave such as visible light, ultraviolet light, X-rays, or the like. Themethod for forming the light-transmitting conductive film is describedusing FIGS. 6A and 6B.

As illustrated in FIG. 6A, as in Embodiment 1, the scan line 107including a gate electrode and the capacitor line 115 are formed overthe substrate 102. Next, the insulating film 126 is formed over thesubstrate 102, the scan line 107 including the gate electrode, and thecapacitor line 115. Then, the semiconductor film 111 and thesemiconductor film 118 are formed over the insulating film 126.

Next, the semiconductor film 118 is irradiated with an electromagneticwave such as visible light, ultraviolet light, X-rays, or the like fromthe substrate 102 side. In this step, the semiconductor film 111 isshielded from light by the scan line 107 including the gate electrode,and thus is not irradiated with the electromagnetic wave, so that theconductivity thereof is not increased.

When the semiconductor film 118 is irradiated with an electromagneticwave, a defect is generated in the semiconductor film 118. The defectserves as a carrier path, so that the conductivity of the semiconductorfilm 118 is increased and the semiconductor film 118 becomes a metaloxide having electrical characteristics of a conductor. The metal oxidecan be used as the light-transmitting conductive film that serves as theelectrode of the capacitor.

Note that unlike in Embodiment 1, a step of etching part of theinsulating film 128 and part of the insulating film 130 is not needed inthis embodiment. Further, unlike in Embodiment 2, a step of forming amask for adding a dopant to the semiconductor film 118 is not needed.Accordingly, the number of photomasks can be reduced, and simplificationof the manufacturing process and cost saving can be achieved.

Embodiment 4

In this embodiment, a semiconductor device of one embodiment of thepresent invention will be described taking, as an example, a fringefield switching (FFS) mode liquid crystal display device in which liquidcrystal molecules are oriented with a lateral electric field. Note thatthe above embodiments can be referred to for components in thesemiconductor device described in this embodiment.

<Structure of Semiconductor Device>

FIGS. 18A and 18B are top views of a pixel 501 described in thisembodiment. FIG. 18A is a top view of the pixel 501 where a commonelectrode 521 is not provided, and FIG. 18B is a top view of the pixel501 where the common electrode 521 is provided in FIG. 18A.

The pixel 501 in FIGS. 18A and 18B includes the transistor 103 and acapacitor 505 connected to the transistor 103. The capacitor 505includes a light-transmitting conductive film 519, a common electrode521 formed using a light-transmitting conductive film, and alight-transmitting insulating film (not illustrated in FIGS. 18A and18B) provided over the transistor 103. That is to say, the capacitor 505has a light-transmitting property. Further, the light-transmittingconductive film 519 is connected to the conductive film 113 in thetransistor 103 and functions as a pixel electrode. The common electrode521 has openings (slits). By application of an electric field betweenthe common electrode and the pixel electrode, a region where thelight-transmitting conductive film 519, the light-transmittinginsulating film, and the common electrode 521 overlap one anotherfunctions as a capacitor and the liquid crystals can be controlled so asto be oriented in the direction parallel with a substrate. Thus, an FFSmode liquid crystal display device achieves a wide viewing angle andhigh image quality.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate 102 alongdashed-dotted line A1-A2 in FIG. 18B.

A cross-sectional structure of the pixel 501 of this embodiment is asfollows. A scan line 107 including the gate electrode of the transistor103 is provided over the substrate 102. The gate insulating film 127 isprovided over the scan line 107. The semiconductor film 111 is providedover a region of the gate insulating film 127 which overlaps with thescan line 107, and the light-transmitting conductive film 519 isprovided over the gate insulating film 127. The signal line 109including the source electrode of the transistor 103 and the conductivefilm 113 including the drain electrode of the transistor 103 areprovided over the semiconductor film 111 and the gate insulating film127. The conductive film 113 including the drain electrode is connectedto the light-transmitting conductive film 519, and thelight-transmitting conductive film 519 functions as a pixel electrode.The insulating film 229, the insulating film 231, and the insulatingfilm 232 functioning as protective insulating films of the transistor103 are provided over the gate insulating film 127, the signal line 109,the semiconductor film 111, and the conductive film 113. The insulatingfilm 232 is provided over the light-transmitting conductive film 519 andthe common electrode 521 is provided the insulating film 232. The commonelectrode 521 is provided continuously without being separated betweenpixels in the pixel portion. Note that a base insulating film may beprovided between the substrate 102, and the scan line 107 and the gateinsulating film 127.

The light-transmitting conductive film 519 can be formed in a mannersimilar to that of the light-transmitting conductive described in any ofEmbodiments 1 to 3. The common electrode 521 can be formed using amaterial similar to that of the pixel electrode 221 described inEmbodiment 1.

As in the capacitor 505 of this embodiment, the light-transmittingconductive film 519 is connected to the conductive film 113 of thetransistor, whereby the conductive film 113 and the light-transmittingconductive film 519 can be directly connected to each other withoutforming an opening portion, and the planarity of the transistor 103 andthe capacitor 505 can be improved. Further, a capacitor line is notprovided and the common electrode 521 having a light-transmittingproperty is made to function as a capacitor line, so that the apertureratio of the pixel 501 can be further increased.

Embodiment 5

In this embodiment, one embodiment which can be applied to an oxidesemiconductor film, which is a semiconductor film, in the transistor andthe capacitor included in the semiconductor device described in theabove embodiment will be described.

The oxide semiconductor film is preferably formed using any of anamorphous oxide semiconductor, a single crystal oxide semiconductor, apolycrystalline oxide semiconductor, and an oxide semiconductorincluding a crystalline portion (a c-axis aligned crystalline oxidesemiconductor (CAAC-OS).

The CAAC-OS film is one of oxide semiconductor films including aplurality of crystal parts, and most of the crystal parts each fitinside a cube whose one side is less than 100 nm. Thus, there is a casewhere a crystal part included in the CAAC-OS film fits inside a cubewhose one side is less than 10 nm, less than 5 nm, or less than 3 nm.The density of defect states of the CAAC-OS film is lower than that ofthe microcrystalline oxide semiconductor film. The CAAC-OS film isdescribed in detail below.

In a transmission electron microscope (TEM) image of the CAAC-OS film, aboundary between crystal parts, that is, a grain boundary is not clearlyobserved. Thus, in the CAAC-OS film, a reduction in electron mobilitydue to the grain boundary is less likely to occur.

According to the TEM image of the CAAC-OS film observed in a directionsubstantially parallel with a sample surface (cross-sectional TEMimage), metal atoms are arranged in a layered manner in the crystalparts. Each metal atom layer has a morphology reflected by a surfaceover which the CAAC-OS film is formed (hereinafter, a surface over whichthe CAAC-OS film is formed is referred to as a formation surface) or atop surface of the CAAC-OS film, and is arranged in parallel with theformation surface or the top surface of the CAAC-OS film.

On the other hand, according to the TEM image of the CAAC-OS filmobserved in a direction substantially perpendicular to the samplesurface (plan TEM image), metal atoms are arranged in a triangular orhexagonal configuration in the crystal parts. However, there is noregularity of arrangement of metal atoms between different crystalparts.

From the results of the cross-sectional TEM image and the plan TEMimage, alignment is found in the crystal parts in the CAAC-OS film.

A CAAC-OS film is subjected to structural analysis with an X-raydiffraction (XRD) apparatus. For example, when the CAAC-OS filmincluding an InGaZnO₄ crystal is analyzed by an out-of-plane method, apeak appears frequently when the diffraction angle (2θ) is around 31°.This peak is derived from the (009) plane of the InGaZnO₄ crystal, whichindicates that crystals in the CAAC-OS film have c-axis alignment, andthat the c-axes are aligned in a direction substantially perpendicularto the formation surface or the top surface of the CAAC-OS film.

On the other hand, when the CAAC-OS film is analyzed by an in-planemethod in which an X-ray enters a sample in a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the c-axis, a peak appears frequently when 28 is around56°. This peak is derived from the (110) plane of the InGaZnO₄ crystal.Here, analysis (φ scan) is performed under conditions where the sampleis rotated around a normal vector of a sample surface as an axis (φaxis) with 2θ fixed at around 56°. In the case where the sample is asingle-crystal oxide semiconductor film of InGaZnO₄, six peaks appear.The six peaks are derived from crystal planes equivalent to the (110)plane. On the other hand, in the case of a CAAC-OS film, a peak is notclearly observed even when φ scan is performed with 28 fixed at around56°.

According to the above results, in the CAAC-OS film having c-axisalignment, while the directions of a-axes and b-axes are differentbetween crystal parts, the c-axes are aligned in a direction parallelwith a normal vector of a formation surface or a normal vector of a topsurface. Thus, each metal atom layer arranged in a layered mannerobserved in the cross-sectional TEM image corresponds to a planeparallel with the a-b plane of the crystal.

Note that the crystal part is formed concurrently with deposition of theCAAC-OS film or is formed through crystallization treatment such as heattreatment. As described above, the c-axis of the crystal is aligned witha direction parallel with a normal vector of a formation surface or anormal vector of a top surface. Thus, for example, in the case where ashape of the CAAC-OS film is changed by etching or the like, the c-axismight not be necessarily parallel with a normal vector of a formationsurface or a normal vector of a top surface of the CAAC-OS film.

Further, the degree of crystallinity in the CAAC-OS film is notnecessarily uniform. For example, in the case where crystal growthleading to the CAAC-OS film occurs from the vicinity of the top surfaceof the film, the degree of the crystallinity in the vicinity of the topsurface is higher than that in the vicinity of the formation surface insome cases. Further, when an impurity is added to the CAAC-OS film, thecrystallinity in a region to which the impurity is added is changed, andthe degree of crystallinity in the CAAC-OS film varies depending onregions.

Note that when the CAAC-OS film with an InGaZnO₄ crystal is analyzed byan out-of-plane method, a peak of 2θ may also be observed at around 36°,in addition to the peak of 2θ at around 31°. The peak of 2θ at around36° indicates that a crystal having no c-axis alignment is included inpart of the CAAC-OS film. It is preferable that in the CAAC-OS film, apeak of 2θ appear at around 31° and a peak of 2θ do not appear at around36°.

There are three methods for forming a CAAC-OS film.

The first method is to form an oxide semiconductor film at a temperaturein the range of 100° C. to 450° C. to form, in the oxide semiconductorfilm, crystal parts in which the c-axes are aligned in the directionparallel with a normal vector of a surface where the oxide semiconductorfilm is formed or a normal vector of a surface of the oxidesemiconductor film.

The second method is to form an oxide semiconductor film with a smallthickness and then heat it at a temperature in the range of 200° C. to700° C., to form, in the oxide semiconductor film, crystal parts inwhich the c-axes are aligned in the direction parallel with a normalvector of a surface where the oxide semiconductor film is formed or anormal vector of a surface of the oxide semiconductor film.

The third method is to form a first oxide semiconductor film with asmall thickness, then heat it at a temperature in the range of 200° C.to 700° C., and form a second oxide semiconductor film to form, in thesecond oxide semiconductor film, crystal parts in which the c-axes arealigned in the direction parallel with a normal vector of the surfacewhere the second oxide semiconductor film is formed or to a normalvector of the top surface of the second oxide semiconductor film.

In a transistor using the CAAC-OS film as the oxide semiconductor film,change in electrical characteristics due to irradiation with visiblelight or ultraviolet light is small. Thus, the transistor using theCAAC-OS film as the oxide semiconductor film has high reliability.

Further, it is preferable that the CAAC-OS film be formed by asputtering method using a polycrystalline oxide semiconductor sputteringtarget. When ions collide with the sputtering target, a crystal regionincluded in the sputtering target may be separated from the target alongan a-b plane; in other words, a flat-plate-like or pellet-like sputteredparticle having a plane parallel with an a-b plane may flake off fromthe sputtering target. In this case, the flat-plate-like or pellet-likesputtered particle reaches a surface where the CAAC-OS film is to bedeposited while maintaining its crystal state, whereby the CAAC-OS filmcan be deposited.

For the deposition of the CAAC-OS film, the following conditions arepreferably used.

By reducing the mixing of impurities during the deposition, the crystalstate can be prevented from being broken by the impurities. For example,the concentration of impurities (e.g., hydrogen, water, carbon dioxide,or nitrogen) which exist in the deposition chamber may be reduced.Furthermore, the concentration of impurities in a deposition gas may bereduced. Specifically, a deposition gas whose dew point is −80° C. orlower, preferably −100° C. or lower is used.

By increasing the heating temperature of the surface where the CAAC-OSfilm is formed (for example, the substrate heating temperature) duringthe deposition, migration of a sputtered particle is likely to occurafter the sputtered particle reaches the surface where the CAAC-OS filmis formed. Specifically, the temperature of the surface where theCAAC-OS film is formed during the deposition is higher than or equal to100° C. and lower than or equal to 740° C., preferably higher than orequal to 150° C. and lower than or equal to 500° C. By increasing thetemperature of the surface where the CAAC-OS film is formed during thedeposition, when the flat-plate-like or pellet-like sputtered particlereaches the surface where the CAAC-OS film is formed, migration occurson the surface, so that flat planes of the sputtered particles areattached to the surface.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the proportion of oxygen in thedeposition gas be increased and the power be optimized in order toreduce plasma damage at the deposition. The proportion of oxygen in thedeposition gas is 30 vol % or higher, preferably 100 vol %.

As an example of the sputtering target, an In—Ga—Zn-based oxide targetis described below.

The polycrystalline In—Ga—Zn—O compound target is made by mixing InO_(X)powder, GaO_(Y) powder, and ZnO_(Z) powder in a predetermined molarratio, applying pressure, and performing heat treatment at a temperaturehigher than or equal to 1000° C. and lower than or equal to 1500° C.This pressure treatment may be performed while cooling is performed ormay be performed while heating is performed. X, Y, and Z are each agiven positive number. Here, the predetermined molar ratio of InO_(X)powder to GaO_(Y) powder and ZnO_(Z) powder is, for example, 2:2:1,8:4:3, 3:1:1, 1:1:1, 4:2:3, or 3:1:2. The kinds of powders and the molarratio for mixing the powders may be determined as appropriate dependingon the desired sputtering target.

Further, the oxide semiconductor film may have a structure in which aplurality of oxide semiconductor films are stacked. For example, theoxide semiconductor film may have a layered structure of a first oxidesemiconductor film and a second oxide semiconductor film which areformed using metal oxides with different atomic ratios. For example, thefirst oxide semiconductor film may be formed using one of an oxidecontaining two kinds of metals, an oxide containing three kinds ofmetals, and an oxide containing four kinds of metals, and the secondoxide semiconductor film may be formed using one of the above which isdifferent from the one used for the first oxide semiconductor film.

Alternatively, the oxide semiconductor film may have a two-layerstructure where the constituent elements of the first oxidesemiconductor film and the second oxide semiconductor film are the samewhile the atomic ratios of the constituent elements of the first oxidesemiconductor film and the second oxide semiconductor film aredifferent. For example, the first oxide semiconductor film may containIn, Ga, and Zn at an atomic ratio of 3:1:2, and the second oxidesemiconductor film may contain In, Ga, and Zn at an atomic ratio of1:1:1. Alternatively, the first oxide semiconductor film may contain In,Ga, and Zn at an atomic ratio of 2:1:3, and the second oxidesemiconductor film may contain In, Ga, and Zn at an atomic ratio of1:3:2. Note that a proportion of each atom in the atomic ratio of theoxide semiconductor film varies within a range of ±20% as an error.

In this case, in one of the first oxide semiconductor film and thesecond oxide semiconductor film, which is closer to the gate electrode(the oxide semiconductor film on the channel side), the atomic ratio ofIn to Ga is preferably as follows: In≧Ga. In the other oxidesemiconductor film, which is farther from the gate electrode (the oxidesemiconductor film on the back channel side), the atomic ratio of In toGa is preferably as follows: In <Ga. With a layered structure of theseoxide semiconductor films, a transistor having high field-effectmobility can be formed. On the other hand, the atomic ratio of In to Gain the oxide semiconductor film closer to the gate electrode (the oxidesemiconductor film on the channel side) satisfies the relation In<Ga andthe atomic ratio of In to Ga in the oxide semiconductor film on the backchannel side satisfies the relation In≧Ga, whereby a variation inthreshold voltage of a transistor due to a change over time or areliability test can be reduced.

The first oxide semiconductor film containing In, Ga, and Zn at anatomic ratio of 1:3:2 can be formed by a sputtering method using anoxide target with an atomic ratio of 1:3:2 under the conditions wherethe substrate temperature is room temperature and a sputtering gas isargon or a mixed gas of argon and oxygen. The second oxide semiconductorfilm containing In, Ga, and Zn at an atomic ratio of 3:1:2 can be formedby a sputtering method using an oxide target with an atomic ratio of3:1:2 in a manner similar to that of the first oxide semiconductor film.

Alternatively, the oxide semiconductor film may have a three-layerstructure of a first oxide semiconductor film, a second oxidesemiconductor film, and a third oxide semiconductor film, in which theconstituent elements thereof are the same and the atomic ratios of theconstituent elements of the first oxide semiconductor film, the secondoxide semiconductor film, and the third oxide semiconductor film aredifferent. The case where the oxide semiconductor film has a three-layerstructure is described with reference to FIG. 20.

In a transistor illustrated in FIG. 20, a first oxide semiconductor film199 a, a second oxide semiconductor film 199 b, and a third oxidesemiconductor film 199 c are stacked in this order from the gateinsulating film 127 side. As a material of the first oxide semiconductorfilm 199 a and the third oxide semiconductor film 199 c, a materialrepresented by InM1_(x)Zn_(y)O_(z) (x≧1, y≧1, z>0, M1=Ga, Hf, or thelike) is used. Note that in the case where a material of the first oxidesemiconductor film 199 a and the third oxide semiconductor film 199 ccontains Ga, a material containing a large proportion of Ga,specifically, a material which can be represented by InM1_(x)Zn_(y)O_(z)where x is larger than 10 is unsuitable because powder might begenerated in deposition.

As a material of the second oxide semiconductor film 199 b, a materialwhich can be represented by InM2_(x)Zn_(y)O_(z) (x≧1, y≧x, z>0, M2=Ga,Sn, or the like) is used.

Materials of the first to third oxide semiconductor films 199 a to 199 care appropriately selected so that a well structure is formed in whichthe conduction band in the second oxide semiconductor film 199 b isdeeper from the vacuum level than the conduction band in the first andthird oxide semiconductor films 199 a and 199 c.

Note that silicon and carbon, which are Group 14 elements, are donorsupply sources in an oxide semiconductor film, so that silicon or carboncontained in an oxide semiconductor film makes it n-type. Thus, theconcentration of silicon contained in an oxide semiconductor film andthe concentration of carbon contained in an oxide semiconductor film areeach less than or equal to 3×10¹⁸/cm³, preferably less than or equal to3×10¹⁷/cm³. It is particularly preferable to employ a structure wherethe first and third oxide semiconductor films 199 a and 199 c sandwichor surround the second oxide semiconductor film 199 b serving as acarrier path so that a large number of Group 14 elements do not enterthe second oxide semiconductor film 199 b. That is to say, the first andthird oxide semiconductor films 199 a and 199 c can also be calledbarrier films which prevent Group 14 elements such as silicon and carbonfrom entering the second oxide semiconductor film 199 b

For example, the atomic ratio of In to Ga and Zn in the first oxidesemiconductor film 199 a may be 1:3:2, the atomic ratio of In to Ga andZn in the second oxide semiconductor film 199 b may be 3:1:2, and theatomic ratio of In to Ga and Zn in the third oxide semiconductor film199 c may be 1:1:1. Note that the third oxide semiconductor film 199 ccan be formed by a sputtering method using an oxide target containingIn, Ga, and Zn at an atomic ratio of 1:1:1.

Alternatively, a three-later structure may be employed in which thefirst oxide semiconductor film 199 a contains In, Ga, and Zn at anatomic ratio of 1:3:2, the second oxide semiconductor film 199 bcontains In, Ga, and Zn at an atomic ratio of 1:1:1 or 1:3:2, and thethird oxide semiconductor film 199 c contains In, Ga, and Zn at anatomic ratio of 1:3:2.

Since the constituent elements of the first to third oxide semiconductorfilms 199 a to 199 c are the same, the second oxide semiconductor film199 b has few defect states (trap levels) at the interface with thefirst oxide semiconductor film 199 a. Specifically, the defect statedensity (trap level density) is lower than the interface between thegate insulating film 127 and the first oxide semiconductor film 199 a.For this reason, when the oxide semiconductor films are stacked in theabove manner, a variation in the threshold voltage of a transistor dueto a change over time or a reliability test can be reduced.

Further, when materials of the first to third oxide semiconductor films199 a to 199 c are appropriately selected so that a well structure isformed in which the conduction band in the second oxide semiconductorfilm 199 b is deeper from the vacuum level than the conduction band inthe first and third oxide semiconductor films, the field-effect mobilityof the transistor can be increased and a variation in the thresholdvoltage of the transistor due to a change over time or a reliabilitytest can be reduced.

Further, the first to third oxide semiconductor films 199 a to 199 c maybe formed using oxide semiconductor films having differentcrystallinities. That is, the first to third oxide semiconductor filmsmay be formed using any of a single crystal oxide semiconductor film, apolycrystalline oxide semiconductor film, a microcrystalline oxidesemiconductor film, an amorphous oxide semiconductor film, and a CAAC-OSfilm, as appropriate. When an amorphous oxide semiconductor film is usedas any one of the first to third oxide semiconductor films 199 a to 199c, internal stress or external stress of the oxide semiconductor film isrelieved, variations in characteristics of a transistor is reduced and avariation in the threshold voltage of the transistor due to a changeover time or a reliability test can be reduced.

At least the second oxide semiconductor film 199 b, which can serve as achannel formation region, is preferably a CAAC-OS film. An oxidesemiconductor film on the back channel side, in this embodiment, thethird oxide semiconductor film 199 c is preferably an amorphous oxidesemiconductor film or a CAAC-OS film. With such a structure, a variationin the threshold voltage of a transistor due to a change over time or areliability test can be reduced.

Note that the structures and the like described in this embodiment canbe combined as appropriate with any of the structures and the likedescribed in the other embodiments and examples.

Embodiment 6

A semiconductor device (also referred to as a display device) having adisplay function can be fabricated using a transistor and a capacitorexamples of which are described in the above embodiments. Further, partor all of a driver circuit which includes a transistor can be formedover a substrate where a pixel portion is formed, whereby asystem-on-panel can be formed. In this embodiment, examples of displaydevices using the transistor examples which are shown in the aboveembodiments will be described with reference to FIGS. 21A to 21C, FIGS.22A and 22B, and FIGS. 23A to 23C. FIGS. 22A and 22B are cross-sectionalviews illustrating cross-sectional structures taken along dashed-dottedline M-N in FIG. 21B. Note that FIGS. 22A and 22B each illustrate onlypart of the structure of a pixel portion.

In FIG. 21A, a sealant 905 is provided so as to surround a pixel portion902 provided over a first substrate 901, and the pixel portion 902 issealed with the sealant 905 and a second substrate 906. In FIG. 21A, asignal line driver circuit 903 and a scan line driver circuit 904 eachare formed using a single-crystal semiconductor or a polycrystallinesemiconductor over a substrate prepared separately, and mounted in aregion different from the region surrounded by the sealant 905 over thefirst substrate 901. Further, various signals and potentials aresupplied to the signal line driver circuit 903, the scan line drivercircuit 904, and the pixel portion 902 from flexible printed circuits(FPCs) 918 a and 918 b.

In FIGS. 21B and 21C, the sealant 905 is provided so as to surround thepixel portion 902 and the scan line driver circuit 904 which areprovided over the first substrate 901. The second substrate 906 isprovided over the pixel portion 902 and the scan line driver circuit904. Thus, the pixel portion 902 and the scan line driver circuit 904are sealed together with a display element, with the first substrate901, the sealant 905, and the second substrate 906. In FIGS. 21B and21C, a signal line driver circuit 903 formed using a single crystalsemiconductor or a polycrystalline semiconductor over a substrateseparately prepared is mounted in a region different from the regionsurrounded by the sealant 905 over the first substrate 901. In FIGS. 21Band 21C, various signals and potentials are supplied to the signal linedriver circuit 903, the scan line driver circuit 904, and the pixelportion 902 from an FPC 918.

Although FIGS. 21B and 21C each illustrate an example in which thesignal line driver circuit 903 is formed separately and mounted on thefirst substrate 901, this structure is not necessarily employed. Thescan line driver circuit may be separately formed and then mounted, oronly part of the signal line driver circuit or part of the scan linedriver circuit may be separately formed and then mounted.

Note that a connection method of a separately formed driver circuit isnot particularly limited, and a chip on glass (COG) method, a wirebonding method, a tape automated bonding (TAB) method, or the like canbe used. FIG. 21A illustrates an example in which the signal line drivercircuit 903 and the scan line driver circuit 904 are mounted by a COGmethod. FIG. 21B illustrates an example in which the signal line drivercircuit 903 is mounted by a COG method. FIG. 21C illustrates an examplein which the signal line driver circuit 903 is mounted by a TAB method.

The display device includes in its category a panel in which a displayelement is sealed, and a module in which an IC and the like including acontroller are mounted on the panel.

Note that the display device in this specification refers to an imagedisplay device or a display device. The display device may serve as alight source (including a lighting device). Furthermore, the displaydevice also includes all the following modules in its category: a moduleto which a connector such as an FPC or a TCP is attached; a modulehaving a TCP at the tip of which a printed wiring board is provided; anda module in which an integrated circuit (IC) is directly mounted on adisplay element by a COG method.

The pixel portion and the scan line driver circuit which are providedover the first substrate include a plurality of transistors; any of thetransistors described in the above embodiments can be used therein.

As the display element provided in the display device, a liquid crystalelement (also referred to as a liquid crystal display element) or alight-emitting element (also referred to as a light-emitting displayelement) can be used. The light-emitting element includes, in itscategory, an element whose luminance is controlled by current orvoltage, and specifically includes, in its category, an inorganicelectroluminescent (EL) element and an organic EL element. Furthermore,a display medium whose contrast is changed by an electric effect ofelectronic ink or the like can be used. FIGS. 22A and 22B eachillustrates an example of a liquid crystal display device including aliquid crystal element as a display element.

The liquid crystal display device illustrated in FIG. 22A is a verticalelectric field mode liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystaldisplay device includes a connection terminal electrode 915 and aterminal electrode 916. The connection terminal electrode 915 and theterminal electrode 916 are electrically connected to a terminal includedin the FPC 918 through an anisotropic conductive agent 919.

The connection terminal electrode 915 is formed using the sameconductive film as a first electrode 930. The terminal electrode 916 isformed using the same conductive film as source and drain electrodes oftransistors 910 and 911.

Further, the pixel portion 902 and the scan line driver circuit 904which are provided over the first substrate 901 each include a pluralityof transistors, and the transistor 910 included in the pixel portion 902and the transistor 911 included in the scan line driver circuit 904 areillustrated as an examples. An insulating film 924 corresponding to theinsulating film 229 and the insulating film 231 and an insulating film934 corresponding to the insulating film 232 in Embodiment 1 areprovided over the transistor 910 and the transistor 911. Note that aninsulating film 923 serves as a base film.

In this embodiment, the transistor described in the above embodiment canbe used as the transistor 910. A capacitor 926 is formed using alight-transmitting conductive film 927, the insulating film 924, and thefirst electrode 930. The light-transmitting conductive film 927 isconnected to a capacitor wiring 929 through an electrode 928. Theelectrode 928 is formed using the same materials and steps as the sourceand drain electrodes of the transistors 910 and 911. The capacitorwiring 929 is formed using the same materials and steps as gateelectrodes of the transistors 910 and 911. Although the capacitordescribed in Embodiment 1 is illustrated as the capacitor 926 here, anyof the capacitors in the other embodiments may be used as appropriate.

The transistor 910 included in the pixel portion 902 is electricallyconnected to a display element so that a display panel is formed. Thereis no particular limitation on the display element as long as displaycan be performed, and any of various kinds of display elements can beused.

A liquid crystal element 913 serving as a display element includes thefirst electrode 930, a second electrode 931, and a liquid crystal layer908. An insulating film 932 and an insulating film 933 each serving asan alignment film are provided so that the liquid crystal layer 908 isinterposed therebetween. The second electrode 931 is provided on thesecond substrate 906 side, and the first electrode 930 overlaps with thesecond electrode 931 with the liquid crystal layer 908 interposedtherebetween.

The first electrode and the second electrode (each of which is alsoreferred to as a pixel electrode, a common electrode, a counterelectrode, or the like) for applying voltage to the display element mayhave light-transmitting properties or light-reflecting properties, whichdepends on the direction in which light is extracted, the position wherethe electrode is provided, and the pattern structure of the electrode.

The first electrode 930 and the second electrode 931 can be formed usingmaterials similar to those of the pixel electrode 221 and the counterelectrode 154 in Embodiment 1 as appropriate.

A spacer 935 is a columnar spacer obtained by selectively etching aninsulating film and is provided in order to control the distance (cellgap) between the first electrode 930 and the second electrode 931.Alternatively, a spherical spacer may be used.

In the case where a liquid crystal element is used as the displayelement, thermotropic liquid crystal, low-molecular liquid crystal,high-molecular liquid crystal, polymer dispersed liquid crystal,ferroelectric liquid crystal, anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal, or thelike can be used. Such a liquid crystal material exhibits a cholestericphase, a smectic phase, a cubic phase, a chiral nematic phase, anisotropic phase, or the like depending on a condition.

Alternatively, liquid crystal which exhibits a blue phase and for whichan alignment film is unnecessary may be used. A blue phase is one ofliquid crystal phases, which is generated just before a cholestericphase changes into an isotropic phase while temperature of cholestericliquid crystal is increased. The blue phase appears only in a narrowtemperature range; therefore, a liquid crystal composition into which achiral material is mixed in order to widen the temperature range is usedfor the liquid crystal layer. Note that the alignment film is formedusing an organic resin containing hydrogen, water, or the like, whichmight degrade the electrical characteristics of the transistor in thesemiconductor device of one embodiment of the present invention. In viewof the above, the use of liquid crystal which exhibits a blue phase forthe liquid crystal layer 160 enables fabrication of the semiconductordevice of one embodiment of the present invention without an organicresin, so that the semiconductor device can be highly reliable.

The first substrate 901 and the second substrate 906 are fixed in placeby the sealant 925. As the sealant 925, an organic resin such as athermosetting resin or a photocurable resin can be used. The sealant 925is in contact with the insulating film 924. The sealant 925 correspondsto the sealant 905 illustrated in FIGS. 21A to 21C.

In the liquid crystal display device, a black matrix (light-blockingfilm), an optical member (an optical substrate) such as a polarizingmember, a retardation member, or an anti-reflection member, and the likeare provided as appropriate. For example, circular polarization may beobtained by using a polarizing substrate and a retardation substrate. Inaddition, a backlight, a side light, or the like may be used as a lightsource.

Since the transistor is easily broken owing to static electricity or thelike, a protective circuit for protecting the driver circuit ispreferably provided. The protective circuit is preferably formed using anonlinear element.

Next, a transverse electric field mode liquid crystal display device isdescribed with reference to FIG. 22B. FIG. 22B is an FFS mode liquidcrystal display device which is one example of transverse electric fieldmode liquid crystal display devices. A structure different from that ofthe transverse electric field mode liquid crystal display devicedescribed in Embodiment 4 is described.

In the liquid crystal display device illustrated in FIG. 22B, theconnection terminal electrode 915 is formed using the same material andsteps as a first electrode 940, and the terminal electrode 916 is formedusing the same material and steps as the source and drain electrodes ofthe transistors 910 and 911.

A liquid crystal element 943 includes the first electrode 940, a secondelectrode 941, and the liquid crystal layer 908 which are formed overthe insulating film 924. Note that the liquid crystal element 943 canhave a structure similar to that of the capacitor 205 of Embodiment 1.The first electrode 940 can be formed using the material of the firstelectrode 930 illustrated in FIG. 22A as appropriate. The planar shapeof the first electrode 940 is a comb-like shape, a staircase-like shape,a ladder-like shape, or the like. The second electrode 941 functions asa common electrode and can be formed in a manner similar to that of thelight-transmitting conductive film described in any of Embodiments 1 to3. The insulating film 924 is provided between the first electrode 940and the second electrode 941.

The second electrode 941 is connected to a common wiring 946 through anelectrode 945. Note that the electrode 945 is formed using the sameconductive film as the source and drain electrodes of the transistors910 and 911. The common wiring 946 is formed using the same material andsteps as the gate electrodes of the transistors 910 and 911. Althoughthe description is made using the capacitor described in Embodiment 1 asthe liquid crystal element 943 here, any of the capacitors described inthe other embodiments can be used as appropriate.

FIGS. 23A to 23C illustrate examples of the liquid crystal displaydevice in FIG. 22A in which a common connection portion (pad portion)for being electrically connected to the second electrode 931 providedover the substrate 906 is formed over the substrate 901.

The common connection portion is provided in a position overlapping thesealant for bonding the substrate 901 and the substrate 906 and iselectrically connected to the second electrode 931 through conductiveparticles contained in the sealant. Alternatively, the common connectionportion is provided in a position which does not overlap the sealant(except for the pixel portion) and a paste containing conductiveparticles is provided separately from the sealant so as to overlap thecommon connection portion, whereby the common connection portion iselectrically connected to the second electrode 931.

FIG. 23A is a cross-sectional view of the common connection portiontaken along I-J in the top view in FIG. 23B.

A common potential line 975 is provided over a gate insulating film 922and is formed using the same material and steps as source and drainelectrodes 971 and 973 of the transistor 910 illustrated in FIGS. 23A to23C.

Further, the common potential line 975 is covered with the insulatingfilms 924 and 934, and a plurality of openings is formed in theinsulating films 924 and 934 at positions overlapping the commonpotential line 975. These openings are formed through the same steps asa contact hole which connects the first electrode 930 and one of thesource electrode 971 and the drain electrode 973 of the transistor 910.

Further, the common potential line 975 is connected to the commonelectrode 977 through the openings. The common electrode 977 is providedover the insulating film 934 and formed using the same material andsteps as the connection terminal electrode 915 and the first electrode930 in the pixel portion.

In this manner, the common connection portion can be formed in the sameprocess as the switching element in the pixel portion 902.

The common electrode 977 is in contact with the conductive particlescontained in the sealant and is electrically connected to the secondelectrode 931 of the substrate 906.

Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 23C, a common potential line 985may be formed using the same material and steps as the gate electrode ofthe transistor 910.

In the common connection portion in FIG. 23C, the common potential line985 is provided under the gate insulating film 922, the insulating film924, and the insulating film 934, and a plurality of openings is formedin the gate insulating film 922, the insulating film 924, and theinsulating film 934 at positions overlapping the common potential line985. These openings are formed by etching the insulating film 924 andfurther selectively etching the gate insulating film 922, through thesame steps as a contact hole which connects the first electrode 930 andone of the source electrode 971 and the drain electrode 973 of thetransistor 910.

Further, the common potential line 985 is connected to the commonelectrode 987 through the openings. The common electrode 987 is providedover the insulating film 924 and formed using the same material andsteps as the connection terminal electrode 915 and the first electrode930 in the pixel portion.

As described above, the use of the transistor and capacitor described inthe above embodiment allows fabrication of a semiconductor deviceincluding the capacitor whose charge capacity is increased whileimproving the aperture ratio. As a result, the semiconductor device canhave an excellent display quality.

Further, oxygen vacancies and impurities such as hydrogen in the oxidesemiconductor film, which is a semiconductor film included in thetransistor, are reduced, so that the semiconductor device of oneembodiment of the present invention has favorable electricalcharacteristics and consumes less power.

Note that the structures and the like described in this embodiment canbe combined as appropriate with any of the structures and the likedescribed in the other embodiments and examples.

Embodiment 7

The semiconductor device of one embodiment of the present invention canbe used in various electronic appliances (including game machines).Examples of electronic appliances are a television set (also referred toas a television or a television receiver), a monitor of a computer orthe like, cameras such as a digital camera and a digital video camera, adigital photo frame, a mobile phone, a portable game machine, a portableinformation terminal, an audio reproducing device, game machines (e.g.,a pachinko machine and a slot machine), and a game console. FIGS. 24A to24C illustrate examples of these electronic appliances.

FIG. 24A illustrates a table 9000 having a display portion. In the table9000, a display portion 9003 is incorporated in a housing 9001 and animage can be displayed on the display portion 9003. Note that thehousing 9001 is supported by four leg portions 9002. Further, a powercord 9005 for supplying power is provided for the housing 9001.

Any of the semiconductor devices described in the above embodiments canbe used for the display portion 9003. Thus, the display portion 9003 canhave high display quality.

The display portion 9003 functions as a touch panel. When a user touchesdisplayed buttons 9004 which are displayed on the display portion 9003of the table 9000 with his/her finger or the like, the user can carryout operation on the screen and data input. Further, when the table maybe made to communicate with home appliances or control the homeappliances, the table 9000 may function as a control device whichcontrols the home appliances by operation on the screen. For example,with the use of a semiconductor device having an image sensor function,the display portion 9003 can function as a touch panel.

Further, the screen of the display portion 9003 can be placedperpendicular to a floor with a hinge provided for the housing 9001;thus, the table 9000 can also be used as a television set. When atelevision set having a large screen is set in a small room, an openspace is reduced; however, when a display portion is incorporated in atable, a space in the room can be efficiently used.

FIG. 24B illustrates a television set 9100. In the television set 9100,a display portion 9103 is incorporated in a housing 9101 and an imagecan be displayed on the display portion 9103. Note that the housing 9101is supported by a stand 9105 here.

The television set 9100 can be operated with an operation switch of thehousing 9101 or a separate remote controller 9110. Channels and volumecan be controlled with an operation key 9109 of the remote controller9110 so that an image displayed on the display portion 9103 can becontrolled. Furthermore, the remote controller 9110 may be provided witha display portion 9107 for displaying data output from the remotecontroller 9110.

The television set 9100 illustrated in FIG. 24B is provided with areceiver, a modem, and the like. With the use of the receiver, thetelevision set 9100 can receive general television broadcasts. Moreover,when the television set 9100 is connected to a wired or wirelesscommunication network via the modem, one-way (from a sender to areceiver) or two-way (between a sender and a receiver or betweenreceivers) data communication can be performed.

Any of the semiconductor devices described in the above embodiments canbe used for the display portions 9103 and 9107. Thus, the television setcan have high display quality.

FIG. 24C illustrates a computer 9200 including a main body 9201, ahousing 9202, a display portion 9203, a keyboard 9204, an externalconnection port 9205, and a pointing device 9206.

Any of the semiconductor devices described in the above embodiments canbe used for the display portion 9203. Thus, the computer 9200 can havehigh display quality.

FIGS. 25A and 25B illustrate a foldable tablet terminal. FIG. 25Aillustrates the tablet terminal in the state of being unfolded. Thetablet terminal includes a housing 9630, a display portion 9631 a, adisplay portion 9631 b, a display-mode switching button 9034, a powerbutton 9035, a power-saving-mode switching button 9036, a fastener 9033,and an operation button 9038.

Any of the semiconductor devices described in the above embodiments canbe used for the display portion 9631 a and the display portion 9631 b,so that the tablet terminal can have high reliability.

A touch panel area 9632 a can be provided in part of the display portion9631 a, in which area, data can be input by touching displayed operationkeys 9638. Note that half of the display portion 9631 a has only adisplay function and the other half has a touch panel function. However,the structure of the display portion 9631 a is not limited to this, andall the area of the display portion 9631 a may have a touch panelfunction. For example, a keyboard can be displayed on the whole displayportion 9631 a to be used as a touch panel, and the display portion 9631b can be used as a display screen.

A touch panel area 9632 b can be provided in part of the display portion9631 b like in the display portion 9631 a. When a keyboard displayswitching button 9639 displayed on the touch panel is touched with afinger, a stylus, or the like, a keyboard can be displayed on thedisplay portion 9631 b.

The touch panel area 9632 a and the touch panel area 9632 b can becontrolled by touch input at the same time.

The display-mode switching button 9034 allows switching between alandscape mode and a portrait mode, color display and black-and-whitedisplay, and the like. The power-saving-mode switching button 9036allows optimizing the display luminance in accordance with the amount ofexternal light in use which is detected by an optical sensorincorporated in the tablet terminal In addition to the optical sensor,other detecting devices such as sensors for determining inclination,such as a gyroscope or an acceleration sensor, may be incorporated inthe tablet terminal.

Although the display area of the display portion 9631 a is the same asthat of the display portion 9631 b in FIG. 25A, one embodiment of thepresent invention is not particularly limited thereto. The display areaof the display portion 9631 a may be different from that of the displayportion 9631 b, and further, the display quality of the display portion9631 a may be different from that of the display portion 9631 b. Forexample, one of the display portions 9631 a and 9631 b may displayhigher definition images than the other.

FIG. 25B illustrates the tablet terminal in the state of being closed.The tablet terminal includes the housing 9630, a solar cell 9633, and acharge and discharge control circuit 9634. FIG. 25B illustrates anexample where the charge and discharge control circuit 9634 includes abattery 9635 and a DC-DC converter 9636.

Since the tablet terminal can be folded, the housing 9630 can be closedwhen the tablet terminal is not in use. Thus, the display portions 9631a and 9631 b can be protected, which permits the tablet terminal to havehigh durability and improved reliability for long-term use.

The tablet terminal illustrated in FIGS. 25A and 25B can also have afunction of displaying various kinds of data (e.g., a still image, amoving image, and a text image), a function of displaying a calendar, adate, the time, or the like on the display portion, a touch-inputfunction of operating or editing data displayed on the display portionby touch input, a function of controlling processing by various kinds ofsoftware (programs), and the like.

The solar cell 9633, which is attached on a surface of the tabletterminal, can supply electric power to a touch panel, a display portion,an image signal processor, and the like. Note that the solar cell 9633can be provided on one or both surfaces of the housing 9630 and thus thebattery 9635 can be charged efficiently. The use of a lithium-ionbattery as the battery 9635 has advantages such as a reduction in size.

The structure and operation of the charge and discharge control circuitillustrated in FIG. 25B are described with reference to a block diagramof FIG. 25C. FIG. 25C illustrates the solar cell 9633, the battery 9635,the DC-DC converter 9636, a converter 9637, switches SW1 to SW3, and thedisplay portion 9631. The battery 9635, the DC-DC converter 9636, theconverter 9637, and the switches SW1 to SW3 correspond to the charge anddischarge control circuit 9634 in FIG. 25B.

First, an example of operation in the case where electric power isgenerated by the solar cell 9633 using external light is described. Thevoltage of electric power generated by the solar cell is raised orlowered by the DC-DC converter 9636 so that the electric power has avoltage for charging the battery 9635. When the display portion 9631 isoperated with the electric power from the solar cell 9633, the switchSW1 is turned on and the voltage of the electric power is raised orlowered by the converter 9637 to a voltage needed for operating thedisplay portion 9631. In addition, when display on the display portion9631 is not performed, the switch SW1 is turned off and the switch SW2is turned on so that the battery 9635 may be charged.

Although the solar cell 9633 is described as an example of a powergeneration means, there is no particular limitation on the powergeneration means, and the battery 9635 may be charged with any of theother means such as a piezoelectric element or a thermoelectricconversion element (Peltier element). For example, the battery 9635 maybe charged with a non-contact power transmission module capable ofperforming charging by transmitting and receiving electric powerwirelessly (without contact), or any of the other charge means used incombination.

The structures and the like described in this embodiment can be combinedas appropriate with any of the structures and the like described in theother embodiments and examples.

Example 1

In this example, the resistances of an oxide semiconductor film and amultilayer film will be described with reference to FIGS. 26A to 26D andFIG. 27.

First, the structure of a sample is described with reference to FIGS.26A to 26D.

FIG. 26A is a top view of Sample 1, Sample 2, Sample 3, and Sample 4,and FIGS. 26B to 26D are cross-sectional views taken alongdashed-and-dotted line A1-A2 in FIG. 26A. Note that the top views ofSamples 1 to 4 are the same, and the cross-sectional views thereof aredifferent because the stacked-layer structures of the cross sections aredifferent. The cross-sectional views of Sample 1, Sample 2, and Samples3 and 4 are illustrated in FIG. 26B, FIG. 26C, and FIG. 26D,respectively.

As for Sample 1, an insulating film 1903 is formed over a glasssubstrate 1901, an insulating film 1904 is formed over the insulatingfilm 1903, and an oxide semiconductor film 1905 is formed over theinsulating film 1904. The both ends of the oxide semiconductor film 1905are covered with a conductive film 1907 and a conductive film 1909 eachserving as an electrode, and the oxide semiconductor film 1905 and theconductive films 1907 and 1909 are covered with an insulating film 1910and an insulating film 1911. Note that an opening portion 1913 and anopening portion 1915 are provided in the insulating films 1910 and 1911,and the conductive film 1907 and the conductive film 1909 are exposedthrough the opening portion 1913 and the opening portion 1915,respectively.

As for Sample 2, the insulating film 1903 is formed over the glasssubstrate 1901, the insulating film 1904 is formed over the insulatingfilm 1903, and the oxide semiconductor film 1905 is formed over theinsulating film 1904. The both ends of the oxide semiconductor film 1905are covered with the conductive films 1907 and 1909 each serving as anelectrode, and the oxide semiconductor film 1905 and the conductivefilms 1907 and 1909 are covered with the insulating film 1911. Note thatan opening portion 1917 and an opening portion 1919 are provided in theinsulating film 1911, and the conductive film 1907 and the conductivefilm 1909 are exposed through the opening portion 1917 and the openingportion 1919, respectively.

In each of Samples 3 and 4, the insulating film 1903 is formed over theglass substrate 1901, the insulating film 1904 is formed over theinsulating film 1903, and a multilayer film 1906 is formed over theinsulating film 1904. The both ends of the multilayer film 1906 arecovered with the conductive films 1907 and 1909 each serving as anelectrode, and the multilayer film 1906 and the conductive films 1907and 1909 are covered with the insulating film 1911. Note that theopening portions 1917 and 1919 are provided in the insulating film 1911,and the conductive film 1907 and the conductive film 1909 are exposedthrough the opening portion 1917 and the opening portion 1919,respectively.

As described above, the structures of the insulating films in contactwith the top surface of the oxide semiconductor film 1905 or themultilayer film 1906 are different in Samples 1 to 4. In Sample 1, theoxide semiconductor film 1905 and the insulating film 1910 are incontact with each other; in Sample 2, the oxide semiconductor film 1905and the insulating film 1911 are in contact with each other; and inSamples 3 and 4, the multilayer film 1906 and the insulating film 1911are in contact with each other.

Next, methods for forming the samples are described.

First, a method for forming Sample 1 is described.

A 400-nm-thick silicon nitride film was formed as the insulating film1903 over the glass substrate 1901 by a plasma CVD method.

Next, a 50-nm-thick silicon oxynitride film was formed as the insulatingfilm 1904 over the insulating film 1903 by a plasma CVD method.

Next, a 35-nm-thick In—Ga—Zn oxide film (hereinafter also referred to asan IGZO film) was formed as the oxide semiconductor film 1905 over theinsulating film 1904 by a sputtering method using a metal oxide targetcontaining In, Ga, and Zn at an atomic ratio of 1:1:1. Then, etchingtreatment was performed on the IGZO film with a mask formed through aphotolithography process, so that the oxide semiconductor film 1905 wasformed.

Next, the conductive films 1907 and 1909 were formed over the insulatingfilm 1903 and the oxide semiconductor film 1905 in such a manner that a50-nm-thick tungsten film, a 400-nm-thick aluminum film, and a100-nm-thick titanium film were stacked in this order by a sputteringmethod, and were then subjected to etching treatment with a mask formedthrough a photolithography process.

Next, a 450-nm-thick silicon oxynitride film was formed as theinsulating film 1910 over the insulating film 1904, the oxidesemiconductor film 1905, the conductive film 1907, and the conductivefilm 1909 by a plasma CVD method, and then heat treatment was performedat 350° C. under a mixed atmosphere of nitrogen and oxygen for one hour.

Next, a 50-nm-thick silicon nitride film was formed as the insulatingfilm 1911 over the insulating film 1910 by a plasma CVD method.

Next, a mask is formed over the insulating film 1911 through aphotolithography process and then etching treatment was performed on theinsulating film 1911, so that the opening portions 1913 and 1915 wereformed in the insulating films 1910 and 1911.

Through the above process, Sample 1 was formed.

Next, a method for forming Sample 2 is described.

Next, a 450-nm-thick silicon oxynitride film was formed as theinsulating film 1910 over the insulating film 1903, the oxidesemiconductor film 1905, the conductive film 1907, and the conductivefilm 1909 of Sample 1 by a plasma CVD method, and then heat treatmentwas performed at 350° C. under a mixed atmosphere of nitrogen and oxygenfor one hour. After that, the insulating film 1910 was removed.

Next, a 50-nm-thick silicon nitride film was formed as the insulatingfilm 1911 over the insulating film 1904, the oxide semiconductor film1905, the conductive film 1907, and the conductive film 1909 by a plasmaCVD method.

Next, a mask is formed over the insulating film 1911 through aphotolithography process and then etching treatment was performed on theinsulating film 1911, so that the opening portions 1917 and 1919 wereformed in the insulating film 1911.

Through the above process, Sample 2 was formed.

Next, a method for forming Sample 3 is described.

As for Sample 3, the multilayer film 1906 was used instead of the oxidesemiconductor film 1905 of Sample 2. The multilayer film 1906 was formedover the insulating film 1904 in such a manner that a 10-nm-thick IGZOfilm with a metal oxide target containing In, Ga, and Zn at an atomicratio of 1:3:2, a 10-nm-thick IGZO film with a metal oxide targetcontaining In, Ga, and Zn at an atomic ratio of 1:1:1, and then a10-nm-thick IGZO film with a metal oxide target containing In, Ga, andZn at an atomic ratio of 1:3:2 were successively formed by a sputteringmethod. Then, etching treatment was performed on the stacked IGZO filmswith a mask formed through a photolithography process, so that themultilayer film 1906 was formed.

Through the above process, Sample 3 was formed.

Next, a method for forming Sample 4 is described.

As for Sample 4, the multilayer film 1906 was used instead of the oxidesemiconductor film 1905 of Sample 2. The thickness of the IGZO filmincluded in the multilayer film 1906 in Sample 4 is different from thatin Sample 3. The multilayer film 1906 was formed over the insulatingfilm 1904 in such a manner that a 20-nm-thick IGZO film with a metaloxide target containing In, Ga, and Zn at an atomic ratio of 1:3:2, a15-nm-thick IGZO film with a metal oxide target containing In, Ga, andZn at an atomic ratio of 1:1:1, and then a 10-nm-thick IGZO film using ametal oxide target containing In, Ga, and Zn at an atomic ratio of 1:3:2were successively formed by a sputtering method. Then, etching treatmentwas performed on the stacked IGZO films with a mask formed through aphotolithography process, so that the separated multilayer film 1906 wasformed.

Through the above process, Sample 4 was formed.

Next, the sheet resistance of the oxide semiconductor film 1905 providedin each of Samples 1 and 2 and the sheet resistance of the multilayerfilm 1906 provided in each of Samples 3 and 4 were measured. In Sample1, a probe is made contact with the opening portions 1913 and 1915 tomeasure the sheet resistance of the oxide semiconductor film 1905. Ineach of Samples 2 to 4, a probe is made contact with the openingportions 1917 and 1919 to measure the sheet resistance of the oxidesemiconductor film 1905 or the multilayer film 1906. Note that in theoxide semiconductor film 1905 in each of Samples 1 and 2 and themultilayer film 1906 in each of Samples 3 and 4, the widths of theconductive films 1907 and 1909 facing each other were each 1 mm and thedistance therebetween was 10 μm. Further, in each of Samples 1 to 4, thepotential of the conductive film 1907 was a ground potential, and 1 Vwas applied to the conductive film 1909.

FIG. 27 shows the sheet resistance of Samples 1 to 4.

The sheet resistance of Sample 1 was about 1×10¹¹ Ω/sq. The sheetresistance of Sample 2 was about 2620 Ω/sq. The sheet resistance ofSample 3 was about 4410 Ω/sq. The sheet resistance of Sample 4 was about2930 Ω/sq.

In the above manner, the oxide semiconductor films 1905 and themultilayer films 1906 have different values of sheet resistance becausethe insulating films in contact with the oxide semiconductor film 1905and the insulating films in contact with the multilayer film 1906 weredifferent.

Note that when the above sheet resistances of Samples 1 to 4 wereconverted into resistivity, the resistivities of Sample 1, Sample 2,Sample 3, and Sample 4 were 3.9×10⁵ Ωcm, 9.3×10⁻³ Ωcm, 1.3×10⁻² Ωcm, and1.3×10⁻² Ωcm, respectively.

In Sample 1, the silicon oxynitride film used as the insulating film1910 was formed in contact with the top surface of the oxidesemiconductor film 1905 and apart from the silicon nitride film used asthe insulating film 1911. On the other hand, the silicon nitride filmused as the insulating film 1911 was formed in contact with the topsurface of the oxide semiconductor film 1905 in Sample 2 and was formedin contact with the top surface of the multilayer film 1906 in each ofSamples 3 and 4. When the oxide semiconductor film 1905 or themultilayer film 1906 is thus provided in contact with the siliconnitride film used as the insulating film 1911, defects, typically oxygenvacancies are generated in the oxide semiconductor film 1905 or themultilayer film 1906, and hydrogen contained in the silicon nitride filmis transferred to or diffused into the oxide semiconductor film 1905 orthe multilayer film 1906. Accordingly, the conductivity of the oxidesemiconductor film 1905 or the multilayer film 1906 is improved.

For example, in the case where an oxide semiconductor film is used for achannel formation region of a transistor, it is preferable to employ astructure in which a silicon oxynitride film is provided in contact withthe oxide semiconductor film as shown in Sample 1. Further, as alight-transmitting conductive film used for an electrode of a capacitor,it is preferable to employ a structure in which a silicon nitride filmis provided in contact with an oxide semiconductor film or a multilayerfilm as shown in the Samples 2 to 4. With such a structure, even when anoxide semiconductor film or a multilayer film which is used for achannel formation region of a transistor and an oxide semiconductor filmor a multilayer film which is used for an electrode of a capacitor areformed through the same process, the resistivity of the oxidesemiconductor film and the resistivity of the multilayer film can bemade different from each other.

Next, the sheet resistance values of Samples 2 and 3 which werepreserved under a high-temperature high-humidity environment and thesheet resistance values of Samples 2 and 3 at various temperatures weremeasured. The conditions of the samples used here are described below.Note that here, the conditions are partly different from those ofSamples 2 and 3. Therefore, samples which have the same structure asSamples 2 and 3 and which were formed under the different formationconditions are referred to as Sample 2a and Sample 3a.

First, a method for forming Sample 2a is described.

The insulating film 1903 and the insulating film 1904 were formed overthe glass substrate 1901.

Next, a 35-nm-thick IGZO film was formed as the oxide semiconductor film1905 over the insulating film 1904 by a sputtering method using a metaloxide target containing In, Ga, and Zn at an atomic ratio of 1:1:1.Then, etching treatment was performed on the IGZO film with a maskformed through a photolithography process and then heat treatment wasperformed at 350° C. or 450° C., so that the oxide semiconductor film1905 was formed.

Next, the conductive film 1907 and the conductive film 1909 were formedover the insulating film 1903 and the oxide semiconductor film 1905 insuch a manner that a 50-nm-thick titanium film and a 400-nm-thick copperfilm were stacked in this order by a sputtering method, and were thensubjected to etching treatment with a mask formed through aphotolithography process.

Next, a 450-nm-thick silicon oxynitride film was formed as theinsulating film 1910 over the insulating film 1904, the oxidesemiconductor film 1905, the conductive film 1907, and the conductivefilm 1909 by a plasma CVD method, and then heat treatment was performedat 350° C. under a mixed atmosphere of nitrogen and oxygen for one hour.

Next, a 50-nm-thick silicon nitride film was formed as the insulatingfilm 1911 over the insulating film 1904, the oxide semiconductor film1905, the conductive film 1907, and the conductive film 1909 by a plasmaCVD method. Note that the film formation temperature of the siliconnitride film was 220° C. or 350° C.

Next, a mask is formed over the insulating film 1911 through aphotolithography process and then etching treatment was performed on theinsulating film 1911, so that the opening portion 1913 and 1915 wereformed in the insulating films 1910 and 1911.

Through the above process, Sample 2a was formed.

Next, a method for forming Sample 3a is described.

As for Sample 3a, the multilayer film 1906 was used instead of the oxidesemiconductor film 1905 of Sample 2a. The multilayer film 1906 wasformed over the insulating film 1904 in such a manner that a 10-nm-thickIGZO film with a metal oxide target containing In, Ga, and Zn at anatomic ratio of 1:1:1, and a 10-nm-thick IGZO film with a metal oxidetarget containing In, Ga, and Zn at an atomic ratio of 1:3:2 weresuccessively formed by a sputtering method. Then, etching treatment wasperformed on the stacked IGZO films with a mask formed through aphotolithography process and then heat treatment was performed at 350°C. or 450° C., so that the multilayer film 1906 was formed.

Through the above process, Sample 3a was formed.

Next, the sheet resistance of the oxide semiconductor film 1905 providedin Sample 2a and the sheet resistance of the multilayer film 1906provided in Sample 3a were measured. In each of Samples 2a and 3a, aprobe is made contact with the opening portions 1917 and 1919 to measurethe sheet resistance of the oxide semiconductor film 1905 or themultilayer film 1906. Note that in the oxide semiconductor film 1905 inSample 2a and the multilayer film 1906 in Sample 3a, in the top view, awidth W in which the conductive films 1907 and 1909 face each other was1.5 mm and a distance D therebetween was 10 p.m. Further, in each ofSamples 2a and 3a, the potential of the conductive film 1907 was aground potential, and 1 V was applied to the conductive film 1909. Thesheet resistance values of Samples 2a and 3a were measured after Samples2a and 3a were preserved at 60° C. under an atmosphere with a humidityof 95% for 60 hours and 130 hours.

FIG. 31 shows the sheet resistance values of Samples 2a and 3a. Notethat in FIG. 31, the film formation temperature of the silicon nitridefilm formed as the insulating film 1911 in each sample is 220° C. (asolid line) or 350° C. (a dashed line). In addition, black circle andtriangle indicate the samples each subjected to heat treatment at 350°C. after the formation of the oxide semiconductor film 1905 or themultilayer film 1906, and white circle and triangle indicate the sampleseach subjected to heat treatment at 450° C. after the formation of theoxide semiconductor film 1905 or the multilayer film 1906. The circlesindicate the samples each including the oxide semiconductor film 1905,i.e., Sample 2a. The triangles indicate the samples each including themultilayer film 1906, i.e., Sample 3a. Still, measurements resultscorresponding to the multilayer film 1906 subjected to a 350° C. thermaltreatment, i.e. the sample 3a, are not plotted in the graph of FIG. 29.

FIG. 31 shows that Samples 2a and 3a had low sheet resistance values andsatisfied a preferable sheet resistance value for an electrode of acapacitor, which is 0.2 Ω/s.q., and that the amount of change over timein the sheet resistance values of Samples 2a and 3a was small. Asdescribed above, the amount of change in the sheet resistance value ofthe oxide semiconductor film or the multilayer film in contact with thesilicon nitride film is small under a high-temperature high-humidityenvironment; therefore, the oxide semiconductor film or the multilayerfilm can be used as a light-transmitting conductive film which is usedfor an electrode of a capacitor.

Next, the sheet resistance values of Samples 2a and 3a when thesubstrate temperature was 25° C., 60° C., or 150° C. were measured, andthe measurement results are shown in FIG. 32. Note that here, as each ofSamples 2a and 3a, a sample which includes the silicon nitride filmformed as the insulating film 1911 at 220° C. and which was subjected toheat treatment at 350° C. after the formation of the oxide semiconductorfilm 1905 or the multilayer film 1906 was used. The black circlesindicate measurement results regarding the sample 2a while the blacktriangles indicate measurements results regarding the sample 3a.

FIG. 32 shows that the sheet resistance value of the oxide semiconductorfilm 1905 or the multilayer film 1906 was not changed even when themeasurement temperature was raised. In other words, the oxidesemiconductor film or the multilayer film in contact with the siliconnitride film is a degenerated semiconductor. A change in the sheetresistance value of the oxide semiconductor film or the multilayer filmin contact with the silicon nitride film was small even when thetemperature was changed; therefore, the oxide semiconductor film or themultilayer film can be used as a light-transmitting conductive filmwhich is used for an electrode of a capacitor.

Note that the structure described in this example can be used asappropriate in combination with any of the structures in the otherembodiments and examples.

Example 2

In this example, the resistance of an oxide semiconductor film will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 35A and 35B and FIGS. 36A to 36D. Inthis example, the resistance of the oxide semiconductor film in each ofprocesses for forming a transistor and a capacitor was measured.

Processes for forming samples each including a transistor and acapacitor and the structures of the samples are described with referenceto FIG. 35A and FIGS. 36A to 36D. Note that FIGS. 36A to 36D illustratecross-sectional structures of the capacitors included in the respectivesamples.

A gate electrode was formed in a region over a glass substrate 1901where a transistor was to be formed. Here, a 100-nm-thick tungsten filmwas formed as the gate electrode.

Then, a 400-nm-thick silicon nitride film was formed as an insulatingfilm 1903 over the glass substrate 1901 and the gate electrode by aplasma CVD method.

Next, a 50-nm-thick silicon oxynitride film was formed as an insulatingfilm 1904 over the insulating film 1903 by a plasma CVD method.

Next, a 35-nm-thick IGZO film was formed over the insulating film 1904by a sputtering method using a metal oxide target (In:Ga:Zn=1:1:1).After that, etching treatment was performed using a mask formed througha photolithography process to form an oxide semiconductor film 1905(Step S1 illustrated in FIG. 35A).

Next, the conductive films 1907 and 1909 were formed over the insulatingfilm 1903 and the oxide semiconductor film 1905 in such a manner that a50-nm-thick tungsten film, a 400-nm-thick aluminum film, and a100-nm-thick titanium film were stacked in this order by a sputteringmethod, and were then subjected to etching treatment with a mask formedthrough a photolithography process (Step S3 in FIG. 35A).

Through the above process, Sample 5 was formed. A cross-sectional viewof a capacitor included in Sample 5 is illustrated in FIG. 36A. Notethat in Sample 5, an oxide semiconductor film which is provided in aregion where a transistor is formed is referred to as C5 and an oxidesemiconductor film which is provided in a region where a capacitor isformed is referred to as E5.

After the oxide semiconductor film 1905 was formed, heat treatment at450° C. in a nitrogen atmosphere for one hour and then heat treatment at450° C. in a mixed gas atmosphere of nitrogen and oxygen (the proportionof the nitrogen was 80%, and the proportion of the oxygen was 20%) forone hour were successively performed (Step S2 in FIG. 35A). Then, theconductive film 1907 and the conductive film 1909 were formed (Step S3in FIG. 35A).

Through the above process, Sample 6 was formed. A cross-sectional viewof a capacitor included in Sample 6 is illustrated in FIG. 36A. Notethat in Sample 6, an oxide semiconductor film which is provided in aregion where a transistor is formed is referred to as C6 and an oxidesemiconductor film which is provided in a region where a capacitor isformed is referred to as E6.

After a process similar to that of Sample 6, as an insulating film to bean insulating film 1910 later, a 450-nm-thick silicon oxynitride filmwas formed over the insulating film 1904, the oxide semiconductor film1905, the conductive film 1907, and the conductive film 1909 by a plasmaCVD method (Step S4 in FIG. 35A).

Next, a mask was formed over the insulating film through aphotolithography process and etching treatment was performed to form theinsulating film 1910 having opening portions 1913 and 1915 (Step S8 inFIG. 35A).

Through the above process, Sample 7 was formed. A cross-sectional viewof a capacitor included in Sample 7 is illustrated in FIG. 36B. Notethat in Sample 7, an oxide semiconductor film which is provided in aregion where a transistor is formed is referred to as C7 and an oxidesemiconductor film which is provided in a region where a capacitor isformed is referred to as E7.

After a process similar to that of Sample 6, as an insulating film to bethe insulating film 1910 later, a 450-nm-thick silicon oxynitride filmwas formed over the insulating film 1904, the oxide semiconductor film1905, the conductive film 1907, and the conductive film 1909 by a plasmaCVD method (Step S4 in FIG. 35A).

Then, heat treatment was performed at 350° C. in a mixed atmosphere ofnitrogen and oxygen for one hour (Step S5 in FIG. 35A).

Next, an insulating film to be an insulating film 1911 later was formedover the insulating film 1910. As the insulating film, a 50-nm-thicksilicon nitride film was formed by a plasma CVD method (Step S7 in FIG.35A).

Next, a mask was formed over the insulating film through aphotolithography process and etching treatment was performed to form theinsulating film 1910 having the opening portions 1913 and 1915 and theinsulating film 1911 (Step S8 in FIG. 35A).

Through the above process, Sample 8 was formed. A cross-sectional viewof a capacitor included in Sample 8 is illustrated in FIG. 36C. Notethat in Sample 8, an oxide semiconductor film which is provided in aregion where a transistor is formed is referred to as C8 and an oxidesemiconductor film which is provided in a region where a capacitor isformed is referred to as E8.

After the heat treatment in Step S5 of Sample 8 in FIG. 35A, theinsulating film 1910 over the capacitor was etched (Step S6 in FIG.35A). In this step, the oxide semiconductor film formed in the capacitorwas exposed to plasma and defects, typically, oxygen vacancies, wereformed in the oxide semiconductor film.

Then, an insulating film to be the insulating film 1911 later was formed(Step S7 in FIG. 35A).

Next, a mask was formed over the insulating film through aphotolithography process and then etching treatment was performed toform the insulating films 1910 and 1911 which had the opening portions1913 and 1915 in the region where the transistor was formed and form theinsulating film 1911 having opening portions 1917 and 1919 in the regionwhere the capacitor was formed (Step S8 in FIG. 35A).

Through the above process, Sample 9 was formed. A cross-sectional viewof a capacitor included in Sample 9 is illustrated in FIG. 36D. Notethat in Sample 9, an oxide semiconductor film which is provided in aregion where a transistor is formed is referred to as C9 and an oxidesemiconductor film which is provided in a region where a capacitor isformed is referred to as E9.

A 100-nm-thick conductive film of an indium oxide-tin oxide compound(ITO-SiO₂) was formed over a glass substrate by a sputtering method.Note that the composition of a target used for forming the conductivefilm was In₂O₃:SnO₂:SiO₂=85:10:5 [wt %]. After that, heat treatment wasperformed at 250° C. in a nitrogen atmosphere for one hour.

Next, over the conductive film of the indium oxide-tin oxide compound(ITO-SiO₂), the conductive film 1907 and the conductive film 1909 wereformed in a manner similar to those of the processes of Samples 5 to 9.

Through the above process, Sample 10 was formed.

Note that in Samples 5 to 10, in the top view, the width W in which theconductive film 1907 and the conductive film 1909 face each other was 1mm and the distance D therebetween was 10 μm.

Then, the sheet resistances of the following films were measured: theoxide semiconductor films C5 to C9 of Samples 5 to 9, which wereprovided in the regions where the transistors were formed; the oxidesemiconductor films E5 to E9 of Samples 5 to 9, which were provided inthe regions where the capacitors were formed; and the conductive film ofthe indium oxide-tin oxide compound (ITO-SiO₂) included in Sample 10.

Measurement results were shown in FIG. 35B. FIG. 35B shows that thesheet resistances of the oxide semiconductor films C7 and E7 in Sample 7are lower than those of the oxide semiconductor films C5, E5, C6, and E6in Samples 5 and 6. This fact indicates that the oxide semiconductorfilm is damaged by being exposed to plasma at the time of etching thefilm formed over the oxide semiconductor film, so that the sheetresistance of the oxide semiconductor film becomes low.

Further, FIG. 35B shows that the sheet resistances of the oxidesemiconductor films C8 and E8 in Sample 8 are higher than those of theoxide semiconductor films C5, E5, C6, E6, C7, and E7 in Samples 5 to 7.This is because the insulating film formed over the oxide semiconductorfilms C8 and E8 is formed of a silicon oxide film and contains oxygenwhich is released by heating. Accordingly, it is found that theresistance of the oxide semiconductor film is increased by the step offorming the oxide insulating film over the oxide semiconductor filmshown in Step S4 and the step of heat treatment shown in Step S5 in FIG.35A. When such an oxide semiconductor film is used as a channel regionof the transistor, the transistor can be a normally-off transistor.

Further, in Sample 9, the oxide semiconductor film E9 has a lower sheetresistance than the oxide semiconductor film C9. Further, the oxidesemiconductor film E9 in Sample 9 has a sheet resistance similar tothose of the oxide semiconductor films C7 and E7 in Sample 7.

The sheet resistances of the oxide semiconductor films C7 and E7 inSample 7 and the oxide semiconductor film E9 in Sample 9 are higher thanthat of the conductive film of the indium oxide-tin oxide compound(ITO-SiO₂) by just one digit. Therefore, the oxide semiconductor filmsC7 and E7 in Sample 7 and the oxide semiconductor film E9 in Sample 9can be each used as an electrode in a manner similar to that of theconductive film of the indium oxide-tin oxide compound (ITO-SiO₂).

In other words, like in Sample 9, in a region where a transistor isformed, an insulating film formed of an oxide insulating film isprovided over an oxide semiconductor film and subjected to heattreatment, whereby the resistance of the oxide semiconductor film isincreased and the oxide semiconductor film can be used as a channelformation region. Further, in a region where a capacitor is to beformed, a surface of the oxide semiconductor film is exposed to plasmaand an insulating film formed of a nitride insulating film is providedover the oxide semiconductor film, whereby the resistance of the oxidesemiconductor film is reduced and the oxide semiconductor film can beused as an electrode.

Example 3

In this example, analysis of impurities in an oxide semiconductor filmand an insulating film formed over the oxide semiconductor film will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 28A and 28B.

In this example, two kinds of samples (hereinafter Sample 11 and Sample12) were formed as samples for impurity analysis.

First, a method for forming Sample 11 is described below.

As for Sample 11, an IGZO film was formed over a glass substrate and asilicon nitride film was formed thereover. After that, heat treatment at450° C. under a nitrogen atmosphere for one hour and then heat treatmentat 450° C. under a mixed gas atmosphere of nitrogen and oxygen (theproportion of the nitrogen was 80%, and the proportion of the oxygen was20%) for one hour were successively performed.

Note that as for the IGZO film, a 100-nm-thick IGZO film was formed by asputtering method using a metal oxide target containing In, Ga, and Znat an atomic ratio of 1:1:1 under the following conditions: the Ar gasflow rate was 100 sccm and the O₂ gas flow rate was 100 sccm (theproportion of the O₂ gas was 50%); the pressure was 0.6 Pa; the filmformation power was 5000 W; and the substrate temperature was 170° C.

In addition, as for the silicon nitride film, a 100-nm-thick siliconnitride film was formed by a plasma CVD method under the followingconditions: the SiH₄ gas flow rate was 50 sccm, the N₂ gas flow rate was5000 sccm, and the NH₃ gas flow rate was 100 sccm; the pressure was 100Pa; the film formation power was 1000 W; and the substrate temperaturewas 220° C.

Next, a method for forming Sample 12 is described below.

An IGZO film was formed over a glass substrate and a silicon oxynitridefilm and a silicon nitride film were stacked thereover. After that, heattreatment at 450° C. under a nitrogen atmosphere for one hour and thenheat treatment at 450° C. under a mixed gas atmosphere of nitrogen andoxygen (the proportion of the nitrogen was 80%, and the proportion ofthe oxygen was 20%) for one hour were successively performed.

Note that the film formation conditions of the IGZO film and the siliconnitride film were similar to those of Sample 11. In addition, as for thesilicon oxynitride film, a 50-nm-thick silicon oxynitride film wasformed by a plasma CVD method under the following conditions: the SiH₄gas flow rate was 30 sccm and the N₂O gas flow rate was 4000 sccm; thepressure was 40 Pa; the film formation power was 150 W; and thesubstrate temperature was 220° C. After that, a 400-nm-thick siliconoxynitride film was formed by a plasma CVD method under the followingconditions: the SiH₄ gas flow rate was 160 sccm and the N₂O gas flowrate was 4000 sccm; the pressure was 200 Pa; the film formation powerwas 1500 W; and the substrate temperature was 220° C.

FIGS. 28A and 28B show the results of the impurity analysis of Samples11 and 12.

Note that the impurity analysis was performed in the direction shown bythe arrow in each of FIGS. 28A and 28B by secondary ion massspectrometry (SIMS). That is, the measurement was performed from theglass substrate side.

FIG. 28A shows the concentration profile of hydrogen (H) which wasobtained by measurement of Sample 11. FIG. 28B shows the concentrationprofile of hydrogen (H) which was obtained by measurement of Sample 12.

FIG. 28A shows that the concentration of hydrogen (H) in the IGZO filmis 1.0×10²⁰ atoms/cm³ and the concentration of hydrogen (H) in thesilicon nitride film is 1.0×10²³ atoms/cm³. FIG. 28B shows that theconcentration of hydrogen (H) in the IGZO film is 5.0×10¹⁹ atoms/cm³ andthe concentration of hydrogen (H) in the silicon oxynitride film is3.0×10²¹ atoms/cm³.

It is known that it is difficult to obtain accurate data in theproximity of a surface of a sample or in the proximity of an interfacebetween stacked films formed using different materials by the SIMSanalysis in measurement principle. Thus, in the case where distributionsof the concentrations of hydrogen (H) in the film in the thicknessdirection are analyzed by SIMS, an average value in a region where thefilm is provided, the value is not greatly changed, and an almostconstant level of strength can be obtained is employed as theconcentrations of hydrogen (H).

A difference between the IGZO films in the concentration of hydrogen (H)was found in this manner by changing the structure of the insulatingfilm in contact with the IGZO film.

For example, in the case where any of the above IGZO films is formed ina channel formation region of a transistor, it is preferable to employ astructure in which a silicon oxynitride film is provided in contact withthe IGZO film as shown Sample 12. As a light-transmitting conductivefilm used for an electrode of a capacitor, it is preferable to employ astructure in which a silicon nitride film is provided in contact withthe IGZO film as shown in Sample 11. With such a structure, even when anIGZO film which is used for a channel formation region of a transistorand an IGZO film which is used for an electrode of a capacitor areformed through the same process, the hydrogen concentrations of the IGZOfilms can be made different from each other.

Example 4

In this example, the amounts of defects in an oxide semiconductor filmand a multilayer film will be described with reference to FIGS. 29A to29C and FIG. 30.

First, the structures of samples are described.

Sample 13 includes a 35-nm-thick oxide semiconductor film formed over aquartz substrate and a 100-nm-thick nitride insulating film formed overthe oxide semiconductor film.

Sample 14 and Sample 15 each include a 30-nm-thick multilayer filmformed over a quartz substrate and a 100-nm-thick nitride insulatingfilm formed over the multilayer film. Note that in the multilayer filmof Sample 14, a 10-nm-thick first IGZO film, a 10-nm-thick second IGZOfilm, and a 10-nm-thick third IGZO film are stacked in this order. Inthe multilayer film of Sample 15, a 20-nm-thick first IGZO film, a15-nm-thick second IGZO film, and a 10-nm-thick third IGZO film arestacked in this order. Samples 14 and 15 are different from Sample 13 inthat the multilayer film is included instead of the oxide semiconductorfilm.

Sample 16 includes a 100-nm-thick oxide semiconductor film formed over aquartz substrate, a 250-nm-thick oxide insulating film formed over theoxide semiconductor film, and a 100-nm-thick nitride insulating filmformed over the oxide insulating film. Sample 16 is different fromSamples 13 to 15 in that the oxide semiconductor film is not in contactwith the nitride insulating film but in contact with the oxideinsulating film.

Next, methods for forming the samples are described.

First, a method for forming Sample 13 is described.

A 35-nm-thick IGZO film was formed as the oxide semiconductor film overthe quartz substrate. As for the IGZO film, the 35-nm-thick IGZO filmwas formed by a sputtering method using a metal oxide target containingIn, Ga, and Zn at an atomic ratio of 1:1:1 under the followingconditions: the Ar gas flow rate was 100 sccm and the O₂ gas flow ratewas 100 sccm (the proportion of the O₂ gas was 50%); the pressure was0.6 Pa; the film formation power was 5000 W; and the substratetemperature was 170° C.

Next, as first heat treatment, heat treatment at 450° C. under anitrogen atmosphere for one hour and then heat treatment at 450° C.under a mixed gas atmosphere of nitrogen and oxygen (the proportion ofthe nitrogen was 80%, and the proportion of the oxygen was 20%) for onehour were successively performed.

Next, a 100-nm-thick silicon nitride film was formed as the nitrideinsulating film over the oxide semiconductor film. As for the siliconnitride film, the 100-nm-thick silicon nitride film was formed by aplasma CVD method under the following conditions: the SiH₄ gas flow ratewas 50 sccm, the N₂ gas flow rate was 5000 sccm, and the NH₃ gas flowrate was 100 sccm; the pressure was 100 Pa; the film formation power was1000 W; and the substrate temperature was 350° C.

Next, as second heat treatment, heat treatment was performed at 250° C.under a nitrogen atmosphere for one hour.

Through the above process, Sample 13 was formed.

Next, a method for forming Sample 14 is described.

As for Sample 14, the multilayer film was formed instead of the oxidesemiconductor film of Sample 14. As for the multilayer film, the10-nm-thick first IGZO film was formed by a sputtering method using ametal oxide target containing In, Ga, and Zn at an atomic ratio of 1:3:2under the following conditions: the Ar gas flow rate was 180 sccm andthe O₂ gas flow rate was 20 sccm (the proportion of the O₂ gas was 10%);the pressure was 0.6 Pa; the film formation power was 5000 W; and thesubstrate temperature was 25° C. Then, the 10-nm-thick second IGZO filmwas formed by a sputtering method using a metal oxide target containingIn, Ga, and Zn at an atomic ratio of 1:1:1 under the followingconditions: the Ar gas flow rate was 100 sccm and the O₂ gas flow ratewas 100 sccm (the proportion of the O₂ gas was 50%); the pressure was0.6 Pa; the film formation power was 5000 W; and the substratetemperature was 170° C. Then, the 10-nm-thick third IGZO film was formedby a sputtering method using a metal oxide target containing In, Ga, andZn at an atomic ratio of 1:3:2 under the following conditions: the Argas flow rate was 180 sccm and the O₂ gas flow rate was 20 sccm (theproportion of the O₂ gas was 10%); the pressure was 0.6 Pa; the filmformation power was 5000 W; and the substrate temperature was 25° C.

Other steps are similar to those of Sample 13. Through the aboveprocess, Sample 14 was formed.

Next, a method for forming Sample 15 is described.

As for Sample 15, the multilayer film was formed instead of the oxidesemiconductor film of Sample 13. As for the multilayer film, the20-nm-thick first IGZO film was formed over the quartz substrate underthe same conditions as the first IGZO film of Sample 14. Then, the15-nm-thick second IGZO film was formed by a sputtering method under thesame conditions as the second IGZO film of Sample 14. Then, the10-nm-thick third IGZO film was formed under the same conditions as thethird IGZO film of Sample 14.

Other steps are similar to those of Sample 13. Through the aboveprocess, Sample 15 was formed.

Next, a method for forming Sample 16 is described.

As for Sample 16, the 100-nm-thick oxide semiconductor film was formedover the quartz substrate under the same conditions as Sample 13.

Next, first heat treatment was performed under conditions similar tothose of Sample 13.

Next, a 50-nm-thick first silicon oxynitride film and a 200-nm-thicksecond silicon oxynitride film were stacked over the oxide semiconductorfilm as the oxide insulating film. Here, the 50-nm-thick first siliconoxynitride film was formed by a plasma CVD method under the followingconditions: the SiH₄ gas flow rate was 30 sccm and the N₂O gas flow ratewas 4000 sccm; the pressure was 40 Pa; the film formation power was 150W; and the substrate temperature was 220° C. After that, the200-nm-thick second silicon oxynitride film was formed by a plasma CVDmethod under the following conditions: the SiH₄ gas flow rate was 160sccm and the N₂O gas flow rate was 4000 sccm; the pressure was 200 Pa;the film formation power was 1500 W; and the substrate temperature was220° C. Note that the second silicon oxynitride film is a filmcontaining oxygen at a higher proportion than oxygen in thestoichiometric composition.

Next, a 100-nm-thick silicon nitride film was formed over the oxideinsulating film under the same conditions as Sample 13.

Next, second heat treatment was performed under conditions similar tothose of Sample 13.

Through the above process, Sample 16 was formed.

Next, Samples 13 to 16 were measured by ESR. In the ESR measurementperformed at a predetermined temperature, a value of a magnetic field(H₀) where a microwave is absorbed is used for an equation g=hv/βH₀, sothat a parameter of a g-factor can be obtained. Note that the frequencyof the microwave is denoted by v, and the Planck constant and the Bohrmagneton are denoted by, respectively, h and β which are both constants.

Here, the ESR measurement was performed under the conditions as follows.The measurement temperature was room temperature (25° C.), thehigh-frequency power (power of microwaves) of 8.92 GHz was 20 mW, andthe direction of a magnetic field was parallel to a surface of eachsample.

FIG. 29A shows a first derivative curve obtained by ESR measurement ofthe oxide semiconductor film in Sample 13; and FIGS. 29B and 29C showfirst derivative curves obtained by ESR measurement of the multilayerfilms in Samples 14 and 15. FIG. 29A shows the measurement result ofSample 13, FIG. 29B shows the measurement result of Sample 14, and FIG.29C shows the measurement result of Sample 15.

FIG. 30 shows a first derivative curve obtained by ESR measurement ofthe oxide semiconductor film in Sample 16.

In FIGS. 29A to 29C, Sample 13 has signal symmetry due to defects havinga a g-factor of 1.93 in the oxide semiconductor film. Samples 14 and 15each have signal symmetry due to a defect having a g-factor of 1.95 inthe multilayer film. As for Sample 13, the spin density corresponding toa g-factor of 1.93 was 2.5×10¹⁹ spins/cm³, in Sample 14, the total spindensities corresponding to g-factors of 1.93 and 1.95 were 1.6×10¹⁹spins/cm³, and in Sample 15, the total spin densities corresponding tog-factors of 1.93 and 1.95 were 2.3×10¹⁹ spins/cm³. That is, it is foundthat the oxide semiconductor film and the multilayer film includedefects. Note that an oxygen vacancy is an example of the defect in theoxide semiconductor film and the multilayer film.

Although, in FIG. 30, the thickness of the oxide semiconductor film ofSample 16 is thicker than those of Samples 13, signal symmetry due to adefect was not detected, i.e., the number of defects was less than orequal to the lower limit of detection (here, the lower limit ofdetection was 3.7×10¹⁶ spins/cm³). Accordingly, it is found that thenumber of defects in the oxide semiconductor film cannot be detected.

It is found that when a nitride insulating film, here the siliconnitride film formed by a plasma CVD method is in contact with an oxidesemiconductor film or a multilayer film, defects, typically oxygenvacancies are generated in the oxide semiconductor film or themultilayer film. On the other hand, when an oxide insulating film, herethe silicon oxynitride film, is provided on an oxide semiconductor film,excess oxygen contained in the silicon oxynitride film, i.e., oxygencontained at a higher proportion than oxygen in the stoichiometriccomposition is diffused into the oxide semiconductor film and thus thenumber of defects in the oxide semiconductor film is not increased.

As described above, as shown in Samples 13 to 15, the oxidesemiconductor film or the multilayer film which is in contact with thenitride insulating film has a number of defects, typically oxygenvacancies, and has a high conductivity and therefore can be used as anelectrode of a capacitor. On the other hand, as shown in Sample 16, anoxide semiconductor film or a multilayer film which is in contact withthe oxide insulating film has a small number of oxygen vacancies and lowconductivity and therefore can be used as a channel formation region ofa transistor.

Here, the cause of a reduction in resistivity of the oxide semiconductorfilm or the multilayer film which is in contact with the nitrideinsulating film is described below.

<Energy and Stability Between Existing Modes of Hydrogen (H)>

First, the energy and stability in a mode of H which exists in an oxidesemiconductor film is described with calculated results. Here, InGaZnO₄was used as the oxide semiconductor film.

The structure used for the calculation is based on an 84-atom bulk modelin which twice the number of a hexagonal unit cell of the InGaZnO₄ isarranged along the a-axis and b-axis.

As the bulk model, a model in which one O atom bonded to three In atomsand one Zn atom is substituted with a H atom was prepared (see FIG.33A). FIG. 33B shows a diagram in which the a-b plane of the InO layerin FIG. 33A is viewed from the c-axis direction. A region from which oneO atom bonded to three In atoms and one Zn atom is removed is shown asan oxygen vacancy Vo, which is shown in a dashed line in FIGS. 33A and33B. In addition, a H atom in the oxygen vacancy Vo is expressed as VoH.

In the bulk model, one O atom bonded to three In atoms and one Zn atomis removed, whereby an oxygen vacancy Vo is formed. A model in which, inthe vicinity of the oxygen vacancy Vo, a H atom is bonded to one O atomto which one Ga atom and two Zn atoms are bonded on the a-b plane wasprepared (see FIG. 33C). FIG. 33D shows a diagram in which the a-b planeof the InO layer in FIG. 33C is viewed from the c-axis direction. InFIGS. 33C and 33D, an oxygen vacancy Vo is shown in a dashed line. Amodel in which an oxygen vacancy Vo is formed and, in the vicinity ofthe oxygen vacancy Vo, a H atom is bonded to one O atom to which one Gaatom and two Zn atoms are bonded on the a-b plane is expressed as Vo+H.

Optimization calculation was performed on the above two models with afixed lattice constant to calculate the total energy. Note that as thevalue of the total energy is smaller, the structure becomes more stable.

In the calculation, first principles calculation software VASP (TheVienna Ab initio Simulation Package) was used. The calculationconditions are shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Software VASP Pseudopotential PAW Functional CGA/PBE Cut-offenergy 500 eV K-point 4 × 4 × 1

As pseudopotential of electronic states, a potential generated by aprojector augmented wave (PAW) method was used, and as a functional,generalized-gradient-approximation/Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (GGA/PBE) wasused.

In addition, the total energy of the two models which were obtained bythe calculations is shown in Table 2.

TABLE 2 Model Total Energy VoH −456.084 eV Vo + H −455.304 eV

According to Table 2, the total energy of VoH is lower than that of Vo+Hby 0.78 eV. Thus, VoH is more stable than Vo+H. Accordingly, when a Hatom comes close to an oxygen vacancy (Vo), the H atom might be easilytrapped in the oxygen vacancy (Vo) than bonding with an O atom.

<Thermodynamic State of VoH>

Next, the formation energy and the charge state of VoH which isgenerated by a H atom trapped in an oxygen vacancy (Vo) is describedwith calculated results. The formation energy of VoH is differentdepending on the charge state and also depends on the Fermi energy.Thus, the stable charge state of VoH is different depending on the Fermienergy. Here, (VoH)⁺ denotes a state in which one electron is dischargedby VoH, (VoH)⁻ denotes a state in which one electron is trapped by VoH,and (VoH)⁰ denotes a state in which an electron is not transferred. Theformation energies of (VoH)⁺, (VoH)⁻, and (VoH)⁰ were calculated.

In the calculation, the first principles calculation software VASP wasused. The calculation conditions are shown in Table 3.

TABLE 3 Software VASP Pseudopotential PAW Functional HSE06 Cut-offenergy 800 eV Number of k-point sampling 2 × 2 × 1 (opt.) 4 × 4 × 1(single) Spin polarization setup Shielding parameter 0.2 Fraction of thenonolcal Fock-exchange 0.25 Number of atoms 84

As pseudopotential of electronic states, a potential generated by aprojector augmented wave (PAW) method was used, and as a functional,Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof (HSE) DFT hybrid factor (HSE06) was used.

Note that the formation energy of an oxygen vacancy was calculated asfollows: a dilute limit of the concentration of oxygen vacancies wasassumed, and excessive expansion of electrons and holes to theconduction band and the valence band was corrected. In addition, shiftof the valence band due to the defect structure was corrected using theaverage electrostatic potential with the top of the valence band of acomplete crystal serving as the origin of energy.

FIG. 34A shows the formation energies of (VoH)⁺, (VoH)⁻, and (VoH)⁰. Thehorizontal axis represents the Fermi level, and the vertical axisrepresents the formation energy. The solid line represents the formationenergy of (VoH)⁺, the dashed-dotted line represents the formation energyof (VoH)⁰, and the dashed line represents the formation energy of(VoH)⁻. In addition, the transition level of the VoH charge from + to −through 0 is represented by ∈(+/−).

FIG. 34B shows a thermodynamic transition level of VoH. From thecalculation result, the energy gap of InGaZnO₄ was 2.739 eV. Inaddition, when the energy of the valence band is 0 eV, the transferlevel (∈(+/−)) is 2.62 eV, which exists just under the conduction band.This shows that InGaZnO₄ is n-type by trapping a H atom in an oxygenvacancy Vo.

When an oxide semiconductor film is exposed to plasma, the oxidesemiconductor film is damaged and defects, typically oxygen vacanciesare generated in the oxide semiconductor film. In addition, when anitride insulating film is in contact with an oxide semiconductor film,hydrogen contained in the nitride insulating film is transferred to theoxide semiconductor film. As a result, VoH is formed in an oxidesemiconductor film by entry of hydrogen into an oxygen vacancy in theoxide semiconductor film, so that the oxide semiconductor film becomesn-type film and the resistivity thereof is reduced. As described above,the oxide semiconductor film in contact with the nitride insulating filmcan be used as an electrode of a capacitor.

Example 5

In this example, the light transmittance of an oxide semiconductor filmin contact with a nitride insulating film will be described withreference to FIGS. 37A to 37C.

Structures of samples are described.

Sample 17 was formed in such a manner that a 35-nm-thick oxidesemiconductor film was formed over a glass substrate and a 100-nm-thicksilicon nitride film was formed over the oxide semiconductor film.

Sample 18 was formed in such a manner that a 35-nm-thick oxidesemiconductor film was formed over a glass substrate, a 100-nm-thicksilicon nitride film was formed over the oxide semiconductor film, and a100-nm-thick indium oxide-tin oxide compound (ITO-SiO₂) film was formedover the silicon nitride film.

Note that in each of Samples 17 and 18, as the oxide semiconductor film,an In—Ga—Zn oxide film was formed by a sputtering method using anIn—Ga—Zn oxide having an atomic ratio of metal elements ofIn:Ga:Zn=1:1:1 (referred to as IGZO(111)) as a target.

In each of Samples 17 and 18, the silicon nitride film was formed by aplasma CVD method using silane, ammonia, and nitrogen.

In Sample 18, the indium oxide-tin oxide compound (ITO-SiO₂) film wasformed by a sputtering method.

Sample 19 was formed in such a manner that a 100-nm-thick indiumoxide-tin oxide compound (ITO-SiO₂) film was formed over a glasssubstrate. The indium oxide-tin oxide compound (ITO-SiO₂) film wasformed by a sputtering method.

Next, the transmittance of visible light in each of Samples 17 to 19 wasmeasured. The measured transmittances are shown in FIGS. 37A to 37C.FIG. 37A shows the measurement result of Sample 17, FIG. 37B shows themeasurement result of Sample 18, and FIG. 37C shows the measurementresult of Sample 19.

FIG. 37A shows that Sample 17 has a transmittance of 60% or more inwavelengths longer than or equal to 340 nm and shorter than or equal to800 nm, a transmittance of 70% or more in wavelengths longer than orequal to 380 nm and shorter than or equal to 800 nm, and a transmittanceof 80% or more in wavelengths longer than or equal to 430 nm and shorterthan or equal to 800 nm.

FIG. 37B shows that Sample 18 has a transmittance of 60% or more inwavelengths longer than or equal to 380 nm and shorter than or equal to800 nm and a transmittance of 70% or more in wavelengths longer than orequal to 430 nm and shorter than or equal to 800 nm.

As shown in FIG. 37A, the oxide semiconductor film in contact with thesilicon nitride film has a transmittance which is equal to or greaterthan that of the ITO-SiO₂ film shown in FIG. 37C. Further, as shown inFIG. 37B, the structure in which the oxide semiconductor film, thesilicon nitride film, and the ITO-SiO₂ film are stacked also has atransmittance equal to that of the ITO-SiO₂ film shown in FIG. 37C. Theabove facts suggest that a capacitor in which an oxide semiconductorfilm, a silicon nitride film, and an ITO-SiO₂ film are stacked has alight-transmitting property. Note that even when a light-transmittingnitride insulating film is formed instead of the silicon nitride filmand a light-transmitting conductive film is formed instead of theITO-SiO₂ film, a light-transmitting capacitor can be manufactured.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   100: pixel portion; 102: substrate; 103: transistor; 104: scan line    driver circuit; 106: signal line driver circuit; 107: scan line; 107    a: gate electrode; 108: liquid crystal element; 109: signal line;    109 a: source electrode; 111: semiconductor film; 113: conductive    film; 113 a: drain electrode; 115: capacitor line; 117: opening;    118: semiconductor film; 119: conductive film; 121: pixel electrode;    123: opening; 125: conductive film; 126: insulating film; 127: gate    insulating film; 128: insulating film; 129: insulating film; 130:    insulating film; 131: insulating film; 132: insulating film; 133:    insulating film; 141: pixel; 143: opening; 145: capacitor; 150:    substrate; 152: light-blocking film; 153: light-blocking film; 154:    common electrode; 156: insulating film; 158: insulating film; 160:    liquid crystal layer; 172: pixel; 174: capacitor; 176: capacitor    line; 178: conductive film; 196: pixel; 197: capacitor; 198:    conductive film; 199: conductive film; 199 a: oxide semiconductor    film; 199 b: oxide semiconductor film; 199 c: oxide semiconductor    film; 201: pixel; 205: capacitor; 221: pixel electrode; 225:    insulating film; 226: insulating film; 227: gate insulating film;    228: insulating film; 229: insulating film; 230: insulating film;    231: insulating film; 232: insulating film; 233: insulating film;    245: capacitor; 255: capacitor; 271: pixel electrode; 279:    insulating film; 281: insulating film; 282: insulating film; 301:    pixel; 305: capacitor; 319: conductive film; 401_1: pixel; 401_2:    pixel; 403_1: transistor; 4032: transistor; 405_1: capacitor; 405_2:    capacitor; 407_1: scan line; 407_2: scan line; 409: signal line;    411_1: semiconductor film; 4112: semiconductor film; 413_1:    conductive film; 4132: conductive film; 415: capacitor line; 417_1:    opening; 417_2: opening; 419_1: conductive film; 419_2: conductive    film; 421_1: pixel electrode; 421_2: pixel electrode; 423: opening;    425: conductive film; 437: scan line; 501: pixel; 505: capacitor;    519: conductive film; 521: common electrode; 901: substrate; 902:    pixel portion; 903: signal line driver circuit; 904: scan line    driver circuit; 905: sealant; 906: substrate; 908: liquid crystal    layer; 910: transistor; 911: transistor; 913: liquid crystal    element; 915: connection terminal electrode; 916: terminal    electrode; 918: FPC; 918 b: FPC; 919: anisotropic conductive agent;    922: gate insulating film; 923: insulating film; 924: insulating    film; 925: sealant; 926: capacitor; 927: conductive film; 928:    electrode; 929: capacitor wiring; 930: electrode; 931: electrode;    932: insulating film; 933: insulating film; 934: insulating film;    935: spacer; 940: electrode; 941: electrode; 943: liquid crystal    element; 945: electrode; 946: common wiring; 971: source electrode;    973: drain electrode; 975: common potential line; 977: common    electrode; 985: common potential line; 987: common electrode; 1901:    glass substrate; 1903: insulating film; 1904: insulating film; 1905:    oxide semiconductor film; 1906: multilayer film; 1907: conductive    film; 1909: conductive film; 1910: insulating film; 1911: insulating    film; 1913: opening portion; 1915: opening portion; 1917: opening    portion; 1919: opening portion; 1922: insulating film; 9000: table;    9001: housing; 9002: leg portion; 9003: display portion; 9004:    display button; 9005: power cord; 9033: clasp; 9034: switch; 9035:    power switch; 9036: switch; 9038: operation switch; 9100: television    set; 9101: housing; 9103: display portion; 9105: stand; 9107:    display portion; 9109: operation key; 9110: remote controller; 9200:    computer; 9201: main body; 9202: housing; 9203: display portion;    9204: keyboard; 9205: external connection port; 9206: pointing    device; 9630: housing; 9631: display portion; 9631 a: display    portion; 9631 b: display portion; 9632 a: region; 9632 b: region;    9633: solar cell; 9634: charge and discharge control circuit; 9635:    battery; 9636: DCDC converter; 9637: converter; 9638: operation key;    9639: button.

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application serial no.2012-202125 filed with Japan Patent Office on Sep. 13, 2012 and JapanesePatent Application serial no. 2013-053988 filed with Japan Patent Officeon Mar. 15, 2013, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporatedby reference.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A semiconductor device comprising: asubstrate; a first insulating film over the substrate; a metal oxidefilm over the first insulating film; a second insulating film over thefirst insulating film and the metal oxide film, the second insulatingfilm comprising a first oxide insulating film and a first nitrideinsulating film stacked on the first oxide insulating film; alight-transmitting electrode over the second insulating film; atransistor comprising: a gate electrode; a portion of the firstinsulating film over the gate electrode; and a first portion of themetal oxide film overlapping the gate electrode and defining a metaloxide semiconductor film as a channel formation region; a capacitorcomprising: a second portion of the metal oxide film defining alight-transmitting conductive film as a first capacitor electrode; apart of the second insulating film as a capacitor dielectric film overthe light-transmitting conductive film; and the light-transmittingelectrode as a second capacitor electrode over the part of the secondinsulating film, wherein the first oxide insulating film is on and incontact with the first portion of the metal oxide film, wherein thefirst nitride insulating film is on and in contact with the secondportion of the metal oxide film, and wherein the second portion of themetal oxide film contains a dopant in a higher concentration than thefirst portion of the metal oxide film.
 2. The semiconductor deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the first insulating film comprises asecond nitride insulating film in contact with the second portion of themetal oxide film.
 3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,wherein the first insulating film comprises a second nitride insulatingfilm and a second oxide insulating film stacked on the second nitrideinsulating film, wherein the second nitride insulating film is incontact with the second portion of the metal oxide film, and wherein thesecond oxide insulating film is in contact with the first portion of themetal oxide film.
 4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,wherein the second portion of the metal oxide film contains a higherconcentration of hydrogen than the first portion of the metal oxidefilm.
 5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein thesecond portion of the metal oxide film contains a higher concentrationof nitrogen than the first portion of the metal oxide film.
 6. Thesemiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the second portion ofthe metal oxide film contains the dopant at a concentration greater than1×10¹⁹ atoms/cm³ and less than or equal to 1×10²² atoms/cm³.
 7. Thesemiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising acapacitor line, wherein the second portion of the metal oxide film is indirect contact with the capacitor line.
 8. The semiconductor deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the first portion of the metal oxide filmis electrically connected to the light-transmitting electrode, whereinthe light-transmitting electrode is a pixel electrode.
 9. A displaydevice comprising the semiconductor device according to claim
 1. 10. Anelectronic device comprising the semiconductor device according toclaim
 1. 11. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein thefirst portion of the metal oxide film and the second portion of themetal oxide film are separated from each other.
 12. A semiconductordevice comprising: a substrate; a first insulating film over thesubstrate; a metal oxide film over the first insulating film; a secondinsulating film over the first insulating film and the metal oxide film;a light-transmitting electrode over the second insulating film; atransistor comprising: a gate electrode; a portion of the firstinsulating film over the gate electrode; and a first portion of themetal oxide film overlapping the gate electrode and defining a metaloxide semiconductor film as a channel formation region; a capacitorcomprising: a second portion of the metal oxide film defining alight-transmitting conductive film as a first capacitor electrode; apart of the second insulating film as a capacitor dielectric film overthe light-transmitting conductive film; and the light-transmittingelectrode as a second capacitor electrode over the part of the secondinsulating film, and wherein the second portion of the metal oxide filmcontains a dopant in a higher concentration than the first portion ofthe metal oxide film.
 13. The semiconductor device according to claim12, wherein the first insulating film comprises a nitride insulatingfilm in contact with the second portion of the metal oxide film.
 14. Thesemiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the first insulatingfilm comprises a nitride insulating film and an oxide insulating filmstacked on the nitride insulating film, wherein the nitride insulatingfilm is in contact with the second portion of the metal oxide film, andwherein the oxide insulating film is in contact with the first portionof the metal oxide film.
 15. The semiconductor device according to claim12, wherein the second portion of the metal oxide film contains a higherconcentration of hydrogen than the first portion of the metal oxidefilm.
 16. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein thesecond portion of the metal oxide film contains a higher concentrationof nitrogen than the first portion of the metal oxide film.
 17. Thesemiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the second portionof the metal oxide film contains the dopant at a concentration greaterthan 1×10¹⁹ atoms/cm³ and less than or equal to 1×10²² atoms/cm³. 18.The semiconductor device according to claim 12, further comprising acapacitor line, wherein the second portion of the metal oxide film is indirect contact with the capacitor line.
 19. The semiconductor deviceaccording to claim 12, wherein the first portion of the metal oxide filmis electrically connected to the light-transmitting electrode, whereinthe light-transmitting electrode is a pixel electrode.
 20. A displaydevice comprising the semiconductor device according to claim
 12. 21. Anelectronic device comprising the semiconductor device according to claim12.
 22. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein thefirst portion of the metal oxide film and the second portion of themetal oxide film are separated from each other.
 23. A semiconductordevice comprising: a substrate; a first insulating film over thesubstrate; a second insulating film over the first insulating film, thesecond insulating film comprising a first oxide insulating film and afirst nitride insulating film stacked on the first oxide insulatingfilm; a light-transmitting electrode over the second insulating film; atransistor comprising: a gate electrode; the first insulating film overthe gate electrode; and a metal oxide semiconductor film over the firstinsulating film and overlapping the gate electrode; a capacitorcomprising: a light-transmitting conductive film as a first capacitorelectrode over the first insulating film; a part of the secondinsulating film as a capacitor dielectric film over thelight-transmitting conductive film; and the light-transmitting electrodeas a second capacitor electrode over the part of the second insulatingfilm, wherein the metal oxide semiconductor film and thelight-transmitting conductive film are formed from a same film, whereinthe first oxide insulating film is on and in contact with the metaloxide semiconductor film, wherein the first nitride insulating film ison and in contact with the light-transmitting conductive film andoverlaps the metal oxide semiconductor film, and wherein thelight-transmitting conductive film contains a dopant in a higherconcentration than the metal oxide semiconductor film.
 24. Thesemiconductor device according to claim 23, wherein the metal oxidesemiconductor film and the light-transmitting conductive film areseparated from each other.